BY LAIDE AKINBOADE

ABUJA—The Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, weekend, said there was no going back on the restriction of operation on mini buses to certain routes, despite protests generated by the ban.

Senior Special Assistant (Information Management. System) to the Minister of FCT, Alhaja Jemilah Tangaza, stated this while answering questions from newsmen.

She said the route designation was necessitated by the need to curb congestion, persistent gridlocks, chaos, reduce traffic accidents, enhance security and ensure traffic sanity on Abuja roads.

It would be recalled that the FCTA on January 14 started enforcement of route delineation for Abuja mini bus and Araba operators.

but due to some lapses, the Minister of FCT, Senator Bala Muhammed, suspended the ban for three weeks.

Alhaji Tangaza said:  “This is the time for us as a nation to take major decisions on whether we want to sanitise the system and make it work to propel Abuja to be one of the best 20 cities in the World by 2020 or continue with this chaotic situation.”

She said there was need for discipline amongst all the motoring public; adding that “whatever encumbrance is being experienced in this sub-sector today is mainly caused by indiscipline, lack of commitment and unwillingness to change.”

The SSA stressed that no category of transportation mode in Abuja was banned by the new Transportation Policy; noting that the measure entailed a restriction of operations of mini-buses, popularly known as Araba, to certain routes and the high-capacity ones to other routes in the city.

She, therefore, called for cooperation and understanding from the several transport unions as well as   motoring public as the policy had been carefully planned to allow all transportation modes dwell on their areas of jurisdiction.

Tangaza noted that the policy had taken good care of all the modes of transportation, including the high capacity buses, mini-buses (Araba) as well as taxis.

The mini buses are expected to operate on Mombassa-Micheal Opara -Moshood Abiola Area 1, Area 1-Gudu market, Jabi-mbora-Kaura-gudu market, jabi-suncity-apo mechanic, Jabi-Lugbe, Gwarinpa-life camp enterance , Bwari town-dutse, Kubwa-kubwa 1st gate and Mpape-murrtala Mohammed express way junction

But. As from February 7, 2013, mini buses would not be allowed to operate in the following routes: Wuse market-Eagle square-asokoro-AYA-Nyanya,  ARea 3 junction-Tafawa Balewa-Herbert Marcaulay way-Berger junction – Jabi, Gudu market-Apo quatersi Ahamadu Bello way-Federal Secretariat-Gwaripa and AYA-sheu Shagari-Federal secretariat -Transcorp-Nicon junction.

The above routes would only be serviced by high capacity buses.

FCTA therefore urged mini bus operators to stop the harassment of high capacity bus operators because such behaviour constitutes a criminal offence and offenders will no doubt face the full wrath of the law.