FCT procures N2.7b (160) taxi cabs to ease Abuja transportation

TO ease transportation problems in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Bala Mohammed has disclosed that his administration has expended about N2.7 billion to purchase 1000 taxis under the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P).

The move is coming two weeks after the implementation of the restriction of mini buses from plying the city centre for commercial purposes. The new policy which restricts the mini-buses to some routes and the introduction of high-capacity ones to operate in the city centre, authorities say would drastically reduce the problems of road accidents, traffic gridlocks and congestions in the city among others.

Speaking at the launch of 160 taxis out of the first batch of the 1000 new vehicles purchased at the cost of N2.669 million per unit in Abuja yesterday, Mohammed said the move is expected to serve as a palliative measure to mitigate the chaotic traffic situation in the territory following the removal of the busses popularly known as Araba in the territory.

Launching the new taxi scheme at the Old Parade Ground, Vice President Namadi Sambo explained that the initiative was to facilitate an efficient and affordable transport system in the nation’s capital to ease the human and vehicular movement thereby limiting crime, insecurity and accident rate.

Sambo, who noted that the initiative which is tied to the welfare scheme of the citizens under the Federal Government’s transformation agenda, also pointed out that a city could only be active when there exists an effective urban transportation system. - Guardian