The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has impounded 40 commercial vehicles for operating from illegal motor parks instead of the newly inaugurated Mabushi Bus and Taxi Terminal.
The enforcement exercise, carried out in the Utako area between Wednesday and Friday, is part of the FCTA’s campaign to relocate commercial transport operators from unauthorised roadside parks to the designated transport hub.
Secretary of the Command and Control Centre, FCTA Security Services Department, Dr. Peter Olumuji, said the affected vehicles were found violating the directive issued by the FCT Transport Secretariat requiring all commercial transport operators using ad hoc parks in Utako and other unauthorised locations to relocate to the Mabushi terminal.
He recalled that following the June 21 directive, operators were given until June 24 to move to the terminal before enforcement commenced.
Olumuji said the impounded vehicles would be prosecuted in accordance with the FCT’s traffic regulations, adding that some individuals were also arrested for allegedly obstructing officials during the operation.
“The exercise is aimed at ensuring that all commercial vehicles operate from approved locations for the safety and security of commuters,” he said.
“The bus terminals were established as organised transit hubs where passengers can board registered vehicles driven by properly identified operators.”
He warned that enforcement would continue until all commercial transport operators comply fully with the directive.
Also speaking, an official of the FCT Transport Secretariat, Mr. Usman Abdulmuminu, said the administration embarked on extensive sensitisation before commencing enforcement.
According to him, notices were issued to operators, while radio and television jingles were aired to create awareness about the relocation to the Mabushi terminal.
He noted that many operators had already complied with the directive and said the ongoing enforcement was also intended to educate residents on the use of the new transport facility.
The Transport Planning Director at Planet Projects, the company managing the terminal, Mr. Demola Olawepo, described the facility as a world-class transport hub designed to accommodate about 250 vehicles under an efficient flow-through system.
He urged commercial drivers to embrace the terminal, describing it as a secure and well-organised environment that would improve service delivery and passenger safety.
General Manager of Operations at the terminal, Mr. Kolawale Babatunde, disclosed that since operations commenced on July 1, the facility had processed about 130 vehicles and more than 800 passengers.
Babatunde said the terminal operates with procedures similar to those used at airports, including structured passenger processing, registration and documentation of transport operators to enhance security and accountability.
Some users of the facility also commended the initiative.
A commercial driver, Abdulsalami Dada, said operating from the terminal was more organised and convenient than working from roadside parks.
A passenger travelling to Kaduna, Chioma Okoro, praised the professionalism of the terminal staff, while another passenger, Adamu Emmanuel, said the ticketing and boarding process took less than two minutes, describing the experience as seamless and efficient.
