The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has taken a decisive step by terminating the contract of operators managing terminals and taxi ranks due to their failure to adhere to the terms and conditions of their engagement.
The Mandate Secretary of the Transportation Secretariat, FCTA, Mr. Ubokutom Nyah, made this announcement during a stakeholders’ meeting with terminals and taxi ranks managers in Abuja.
Emphasizing the operators’ failure to meet the terms and conditions, Nyah expressed the Administration’s obligation to terminate their engagement. He directed the operators to hand over the ranks to the Administration within three months, starting from Nov. 21.
Nyah lamented the presence of illegal motor parks within the city and affirmed the Administration’s commitment to establishing well-equipped taxi ranks and terminals in the capital city.
A firsthand assessment of the taxi ranks, terminals, and illegal motor parks revealed their deplorable state. Nyah emphasized that as the federal capital city, Abuja deserves better, noting that the current state of these facilities attracts criminal elements.
“We must rid Abuja of all these. I have gone round the taxi ranks, and of all the places I visited, not one is worthy to be called even a village motor park.”
Nyah clarified that the termination was not punitive but rather aimed at restructuring the sector, introducing new terms of engagement, and establishing modern taxi ranks and terminals to improve revenue generation for the Administration.
The FCTA plans to rehabilitate and upgrade the taxi ranks and terminals to meet the standards befitting the federal capital, as part of efforts to eliminate illegal motor parks and associated criminal activities.
In response, Mr. Adebisi Lawal, the Operator of Jahi Taxi Rank, commended the Administration’s initiative to modernize the taxi ranks and terminals. He also appealed to the Administration to consider the current operators in selecting new developers for the revamped facilities.
This decision reflects the FCTA’s commitment to transforming transportation infrastructure in Abuja and ensuring the safety and convenience of commuters.
