FCTA and public transportation in Abuja

Before the relocation of the nation’s capital city from Lagos to Abuja by the administration of the late Murtala Ramat Mohammed, Lagos was virtually bursting at the seams as a result of traffic congestion. And since the federal seat of government moved to Abuja, Nigerians and foreigners alike have watched with stupefaction as the ills […]

Before the relocation of the nation’s capital city from Lagos to Abuja by the administration of the late Murtala Ramat Mohammed, Lagos was virtually bursting at the seams as a result of traffic congestion. And since the federal seat of government moved to Abuja, Nigerians and foreigners alike have watched with stupefaction as the ills that informed the relocation of the capital city from Lagos suddenly surfaced in Abuja, with its attendant negative effect on the economy of the city.
While successive past executives of the Federal Capital Administration (FCTA) could not muster the necessary courage to tackle this ugly phenomenon, the incumbent administration under the leadership of Senator Bala  Abdulkadir Mohammed, in the last three years, has been courageously tackling same with appreciable results.
It is well known in Nigeria that 90 per cent of transportation of goods, services and people in the country takes place on roads; therefore roads are a critical contributor to the socio-economic and political development of Nigeria.
It is the foregoing that informed FCTA’s decision to promulgate a new transport policy in 2013, a development that led to the ban of commercial buses in Abuja metropolis. This created shortage in the number of commercial vehicles available for commuters. To fill the gap, over 700 high-capacity buses were immediately procured by the administration and deployed to ply Nyanya-AYA-Eagle Sqaure/Wuse Market; Giri Junction-Airport Road-City Centre; Zuba Junction through ONEX (Outer Northern Expressway) to city centre and Ring Road one Circulation connecting Wuse Market and Eagle Square.
The minister had emphasised that the buses would not only move people in large numbers but reduce time spent in traffic gridlock and improve the economy of the FCT, pointing out that it was in the overall interest of all residents and visitors coming to Abuja for the policy to succeed.
To further strengthen this laudable policy on public transportation in the city, the FCTA has gone ahead to procure 100 brand new Abuja mass transit buses to be used by the Abuja Urban Mass Transport Company Limited, which was recently flagged-off with fanfare by Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo.
The vice president, who flagged off these luxurious buses in a colourful ceremony attended by the crème de la crème of the society at the Abuja Eagle Square, commended the FCTA for being people-oriented in nature and for boosting the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Architect Sambo described Senator Mohammed as an action minister known for always keeping his promises. This can be seen in the procurement of the high-capacity buses following the ban on mini-buses in the Federal Capital City recently.
He remarked that this new buses would go a long way in ameliorating the transportation problems of the residents of the FCT, especially thousands of workers staying in the satellite towns and suburbs of Abuja.
In his address, the FCT minister, Senator Bala  Abdulkadir Mohammed, while thanking Vice President Sambo for continuously identifying with the FCTA, noted that the commissioning of the buses was a fulfilment of the pledge he made to FCT residents before the vice president last year.
Senator Mohammed reiterated that his administration would not relent in its effort to build and administer a capital city in compliance with the Abuja master plan, via the establishment of an effective and enduring service-oriented administration that can respond to the needs and aspirations of all residents and stakeholders.
He said that these buses would assist in the realisation of short time target of reducing travel time to 20 minutes and transport between 1.2 million to 2 million commuters from all entrances into the city and from the city to most satellite towns by 2015.
 “The FCTA is working tirelessly to ensure a timely completion of the Abuja Metropolitan Rail Transport network, Lots 1A and 3, which are at over 50 per cent completion. The launch of additional 100 high-capacity buses into the fleet of the Abuja Urban Mass Transport Company (AUMTCO) marks another milestone in our quest to make public transportation safer, more comfortable and accessible,” he said.
According to him, AUMTCO, SURE-P and Yutong Hongkong Company, made the delivery of these buses possible as the FCTA made 50 per cent payment on the buses, adding that the remaining 50 per cent will be defrayed through the business plan and cash flow of AUMTCO over agreed timeline of 2 years because Yutong Hongkong Company has given the FCTA a loan with a 3 per cent interest rate.
Senator Mohammed disclosed that the 100 high-capacity buses are fitted with all the essential security apparatuses to make them safe, air-conditioned to make them comfortable and premised on electronic payment system to make it convenient for commuters.
In his welcome address, managing director of the Abuja Urban Mass Transport Company, Mr. Abdulrazaq Oniyangi, thanked the FCT minister for his consistent support to the company to deliver on its mandate to the people, just as he promised to reciprocate by making the company live up to its billing by providing international standard services to the residents of the Federal Capital Territory.
By and large, the administration’s consistent fidelity to the workability of its policy on transportation is highly commendable and worthy of emulation by other cities that are choking under a derelict transportation system. As a matter of fact, the policy is loaded with a lot of goodies for the residents: cheaper fares, passengers’ comfort, security, reliability of vehicle and reduction in environmental pollution via emission of poisonous fumes from vehicles, identification of transport operators and companies through biometrics data capturing, promotion of healthy competition among operators, reduction in traffic congestions, road accidents and transport-related crimes and criminalities.  
The policy is equally germane to attaining cost effectiveness through greater efficiency and service delivery, building of new driving culture and attitudinal change, creation of wealth and employment opportunities for professional drivers and ensuring smoother movement of goods and services. Above all, it will help replace the bedlam that has become the lot of Abuja roads with sanity.
With all these efforts so far geared towards repositioning Abuja’s public transportation system, the administration of Sen. Bala Mohammed deserves not only applause but also support to further give it the necessary fillip to ensure that the policy serves the interest of the generality of the residents of Abuja.  
Ochela is an Abuja-based media consultant [email protected]