By Philip Yatai

The Joint Task Force Team of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on City Sanitation, has impounded 19 vehicles for operating in illegal motor parks, at Banex road corridor, Abuja.

The vehicles were impounded while picking and dropping off passengers along the Banex Road Corridor, thereby obstructing free flow of traffic.

Mrs Deborah Osho, Head of Operations, Directorate of Road Traffic Services, told journalists after the exercise in Abuja on Monday, that the measure was to rid the FCT of one chance operators.

This, according to Osho, will ensure safe movement of residents throughout the Christmas celebration, and advised residents to stop boarding vehicles along the roads and engendered their lives.

“We want citizens to have a safe yuletide celebration and so, we are out to remove illegal parks because Illegal motor parks and “one chance” work hand in hand.

“We are removing illegal motor parks so that everybody will go to the approved taxi ranks to board a vehicle and get home safely,” she said.

She explained that the operation was also to curb the challenge of one chance, illegal motor parks, traffic congestion and criminal elements operating in the capital city.

She said that traffic congestion along the road was contributing to the operations of illegal commercial taxi drivers in the area.

“The illegal commercial taxis took over 50 per cent of the road corridor picking and dropping passengers, while there is an approved park where they can pick and drop their passengers.

“Most of the drivers prefer to use the road corridor, therefore, blocking the free flow of traffic on Banex road.

“The exercise will continue to curb the challenges of “one chance” in this area and address the issue of illegal commercial taxi operators.

“This, in the long run, will clean the city and make Abuja safe especially during the yuletide period,” Osho said.

On his part, Dr Peter Olumuji, Secretary, FCTA Command and Control, said that the exercise would help to get rid of the menace of “one chance” in Abuja.

Olumuji said that the operation was also to clear motor parks of peddlers of illicit drugs, who were using unpainted vehicles to perpetuate the criminal acts. (NAN)

Edited by Joseph Edeh