The Federal Capital Territory Administration FCTA said it has arrested over 50 dispatch riders for violating traffic regulations in the city. According to the director, FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Services DRTS, Alhaji Wadata Bodinga disclosed this at a news briefing Wednesday in Abuja. Bodinga warned that the conduct and activities of dispatch riders in the city would no longer be acceptable by the Federal Capital Territory Administration and the motoring public.
“We are here to display the dispatch riders that we arrested for either riding against one-way in the city or beating the traffic lights. As you may observe, the number of dispatch riders has increased within the city, probably because of the COVID-19 pandemic that is ravaging not only Abuja or Nigeria but the whole world and because of their door-to-door services (dispatch riders) which can actually ease people that are staying at home to be able to deliver some of their needs. “But equally, you would agree with me that their activities and conduct on the road is no longer acceptable.
We have received a lot of complaints about their conduct and we have seen it too. “Just between Tuesday and today Wednesday, over 50 motorcycles and dispatch riders have been arrested for various offences, because majorly they are the major culprits when it comes to beating traffic and riding on one-way in the city which is not acceptable because they are toying with their own safety and the safety of other road users,” Bodinga said. According to him, the directorate had directed all the people arrested for following one-way and those beating traffic to go for an emotional evaluation at recognised hospitals in the FCT.
The director said that the enforcement is a continuous one, saying, “this is Abuja, and even where the traffic lights are not working our men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force are there to ensure sanity. “People should be seen to at least obey the traffic lights in the territory and sadly, that is not the case when it comes to this dispatch riders as you can see the results of the operation. “Because they are dispatch riders, we expect that these motorcycles should be owned by corporate organisations but from the records, we have realised that most of them are just owned by individuals who just decided to put the boxes and start operations. ”They will bring results from the hospitals first. After they have done that, we are going to take them to the Mobile Court which has already started sitting.
After the magistrate session is over then they will equally come for two weeks compulsory training with a formal letter from their various companies and organisations. ”All the ones that have organisations, we have drafted a formal letter that we are going to send to their various companies and organisations informing them of the conduct of their drivers and the need for them to bring even their other drivers for mandatory training to update them on traffic rules and regulations”, he stated. s On his part, Chairman FCTA Ministerial Taskforce on Traffic Management, Mr. Ihkaro Attah, said dispatch riders who are allowed to operate in the city are already abusing the privilege.
”They break traffic laws very regularly and it has become a source of worry to the FCT Minister, and so Mr. Bodinga and his men swung into action and clamped down on them. ”We give the directorate a pass mark for clamping down on these violators and some vehicles here are also involved. The riders will be going through Psychiatric tests to ascertain if they are normal because if something is not wrong with them they must be wrong with something”, he stated.
