FCT Policy on transportation is  insufficient, by Jide Owatunmise

Recently, the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital (FCT) announced the new policy on Intra – City Transportation in FCT.  The Honourable Minister warned that all the Drivers of Cars and Buses must comply with the Security aspect of the policy by registering with the Nigeria Police and DSS. The Minister instructed further that all the Cars and Buses must carry the specified colours before they can operate on FCT roads.

This policy is good but the prouncement of the Minister on the enforcement of the policy clearly revealed that he did not understand the challenges of public transportation in FCT. Public Transportation through the Mass Transit system in near non – existence in FCT. The number of Mass Transit buses in Abuja is far below the required number and the mode of operation of the few available is not helping commuting in the FCT.

If not for the Private (unpainted) Buses and Cars that have been filling the public transportation gap in FCT, transportation would have been more disastrous. The shortcomings of the FCT in Mass Transit is also responsible for the high rate of one chance and other criminal activities being perpetrated mostly by the unpainted cars and buses.

It could be that the Honourable Minister of FCT was not properly briefed on the state of the mass transit scheme and public transportation in FCT. He might have been seeing some of the high capacity buses of the FCT on the roads without knowing that their mode of operation cannot be depended upon by the commuting public.

For  example, on the average, 3 high capacity buses of the Abuja Urban Mass Transit Company were allocated to Zuba Madalla area. The 3 of them do load at Madalla and none for Zuba. Between 6am and 6:30am, the 3 buses are already filled to the bream. The buses only make one trip to Berger and Area 1 after which they will park and wait till 3pm to bring passengers back to Zuba Madalla just one trip also.

The implication of this is that any one in the Zuba and Madalla who could not get a space in the 3 buses is left with no other choice than to look for the private and unpainted cars going in that direction. This challenge has motivated many people to put their Private vehicles on the roads for commercial transportation without painting them.

The average daily Commuters in the Zuba Madalla axis is over 5, 000(five thousand). How can just 3 Government Mass Transit buses that operate only one trip to Berger and one trip back solve the Commuters problems without exposing them to the safety and security risks? It is the same pathetic story for People living in the Gwagwalada area, Kuje area, Kubwa area and Nyanya area among others.

Zuba / Madalla, the 2 neighbouring FCT Satelite towns is my main case study in this article. The number of Commutters living in the outskirts or satelite towns is so much that not less than 10 buses are needed in a place like the Zuba and Madalla axis and the daily trips from Zuba and Madalla should not be less 3 trips to and 3 trips back the FCT Central Area.

When the Honourable Minister assumed office and promised to provide CNG buses, FCT Residents were happy but as at today, no single high capacity bus was alloted to the Zuba Madalla axis.

In view of the facts presented above, it is certain that the private car owners will still continue to use their vehicles to carry the stranded Commuters who are paying transport fares far more than they would have been paying if the FCT Administration made more Mass Transit buses available and those available also make multiple trips in the mornings and evenings. It is also obvious that the private vehicle owners will not surrender their cars for painting in commercial colours. The enforcement of the new policy under the situation analysed above will create more problems for the Commutters that the Honourable Minister is trying to solve.

SOLUTION – Before the Minister commands the enforcement of the new policy, he should provide enough high capacity buses with the appropriate modes of operation. When this is done, the implementation of the new policy will further enhance security of public transportation in FCT.

Publicity Transportation is social services that is still being subsidised in developed Nations such as the United States of America and United Kingdom among others till now. The same should be done in FCT and the 36 States in Nigeria.

The provision of adequate  high capacity CNG Buses for use in FCT will also reduce the cost of transportation in FCT as it is currently obtains in Ogun State.

Before going ahead with the policy implementation,  the FCT administration can set up a Committee to investigate the points raised in this article so as to ensure that  the policy is  people – oriented and not counter – productive.

Thanks.