By Daniel Tyokua
Members of the Abuja taxi operators, under the aegis of FCT Licensed Commercial Transport Operators, have appealed to the Minister FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, to allow genuine taxi operators enter Abuja plazas, hotels, government offices, hospitals and other public places to drop and pick passengers.
Secretary of the licensed operators, Shehu Yar’Adua, made the appeal in an exclusive interview during the unveiling of the AIITIS System and MovSmart Abuja Mobile Application, a new standard for safety of passengers in Abuja transport system.
Yar’Adua noted that there is an increase in the number of unpainted taxis that ply Abuja roads, which he said, has resulted in the worsening cases of ‘One Chance’ incidents.
He blamed the situation on government policy that has restricted painted taxis from entering government offices, plazas, hotels, hospitals, markets and other public places in the Federal Capital City.
Yar’Adua explained that if the painted taxis, who are duly registered and recognised by the government, as genuine operators, are allowed to access offices and other public places in the nation’s capital, the issue of ‘One Chance’ will be eradicated.
Yar’Adua, who is also the president of Painted Abuja Taxi (PAT), stated that the restriction of painted taxis from accessing public places in the nation’s capital has created the opportunity for unpainted taxis to operate in those areas, which has opened doors for ‘One Chance’ syndicates.
He pointed out that the painted taxi operators are registered and recognised by the administration, and can be traced using their various registered operators, if they commit any crime, adding, however, that the unpainted taxis are not registered or known, and cannot be traced if they commit any crime.
The president of PAT, therefore, appealed to the FCT minister to make a public pronouncement allowing painted taxis to access public places in the nation’s capital.
According to him, “In as much as the FCT minister insists that all commercial vehicles in the FCT must be painted, we have the challenge of restrictions.
