‘One chance’: FCTA moves to ban unpainted taxis, buses

The Ministery of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration will soon bar unpainted taxis and buses from plying FCT roads.

The Minister of the FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, made this known while addressing newsmen in Abuja on Monday.

Wike explained that the move was to address the incidence of ‘one chance’ in the city.

Our correspondent reports that ‘once chance’ involves criminals posing as taxi drivers who rob, assault, and sometimes murder their unsuspecting passengers.

The minister, who said that the menace of ‘one chance’ had been brought down, added stricter measures were necessary to end the trend in the FCT.

“We are not going to allow vehicles that are not painted with FCT colour and registered by the FCTA to ply commercial in the territory.

“That way, you know the driver is certified by the FCT and the buses and the taxes were also approved by the FCT.

“When this is done, you as the passenger will not take the risk of going to enter any vehicle that you don’t even know,” he said.

Wike added that Uber operators would also need to register to operate in Abuja, so that the government would know who the divers were.

He also said that the drivers need to be certified and profiled by the security agencies,” this is a city, if you don’t have rules, there will be problems.”

The minister expressed concern that the capital territory does not have an official terminal where residents can go and board a bus to a specific destination.

“That way, you know the drivers and the vehicle that you are entering.

“But currently, everybody is just on the road. You are going to Nyanya, a car is on the road, you enter; you are going to Wuye, a car is on the road you enter.

“What we are trying to do in the 2024 fiscal year is to at least build three terminals for a start, so that we will know the buses and taxes that will carry people from such terminals.

“When this is done nobody will take the risk of going on the road to waif for a taxi. That way, you will be able to reduce crime,” he said.