FCTA prohibits early morning vehicle inspection, bars truck from metropolis

Ukpono Ukpong, Abuja

Disturbed over the continued traffic congestion experienced in the nation’s capital at peak periods, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration has barred personnel of the Directorate of Road Traffic Services DRTS from inspecting vehicle particulars on roads in the city before 10am each day.

According to a statement signed by the Chairman, FCT Ministerial Taskteam on Traffic Management, Ikharo Attah the directive followed series of complaints from residents of the city that the checking of vehicles from 9am has compounded the traffic snarl in the territory and led to loss of man hours.

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Recall that FCTA had earlier ordered that vehicle inspection should commence from 9am, but according to Attah, after series of meetings with stakeholders, an additional hour was added so as to avoid clogging the roads during the early morning rush hour.

Similarly, the Administration also sustained the restriction earlier handed on the movement of heavy duty vehicles in the territory to off-peak periods even as he warned that severe sanctions for those who violate the policy.

“By this order, the road traffic officers of various agencies must focus on freeing traffic from 5am to 10am in the morning. They are to commence checking of vehicles and their particulars from 10am across the city.

“The enforcement does not affect the stopping and arrest of heavy duty vehicles driving during peak traffic periods. Any such vehicle must be stopped from plying the road in accordance with approved policy to avert fatal road crashes occasioned by break failures usually associated with such heavy duty vehicles.”

Reacting to claims that traffic officials were responsible for the traffic congestion recorded on evenings along Abuja-Keffi road, Ikharo Attah said that traffic officers stationed in the evening are for the sustenance of seamless flow of traffic and not to check vehicle documents.

He however warned that the shift in the commencement of vehicles inspection time is not a licence for drivers of rickety vehicles to flood the city in the morning.