…Pledged to ensure free flow of traffic in Dutse-Alhaji
By Chioma Nnodim
In a bid to harness insecurity and traffic gridlock in Dutse-Alhaji axis of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, said it has concluded arrangements to start the enforcement of Dei-Dei market 6pm closing time.
Senior Special Assistant to the Honourable Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Mr Ikharo Attah, stated this at a consultative and strategy meeting over the weekend with heads of Security agencies and paramilitary organisations, especially those in charge Dutse-Alhaji axis in his office in Abuja.
He lamented the continued flout of traffic regulations by motorists in the area especially during the peak period which he identified as the major cause of gridlock in the area and therefore said the administration is committed in ensuring free flow of traffic in the area.
Accordingly to the Attah,
“FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, traffic management team met as part of Dutse-Alhaji axis, the FCT Minister asked us to clear traffic in Nyanya and Dutse-Alhaji. Why we are meeting is because we have already seen retrogression on the job we did in September, we collaborated with other security agencies like Road Safety, VIO, Police, AEPB, all of us are working in that axis to address environmental, traffic issues .
“We want to ensure we have free traffic in that axis and ensure everything is working well in that axis. Already the Mandate Secretary on Transportation Adamu Candido, are already doing so much on the issue of restrictions on okada and others”.
He noted, “We will also look at the Dutse market, where people don’t have closing time, when they finished people just come to the main road and clog the road.
“We also look at Sokale roundabout in Dutse and some of the challenges there and there will be engineering solution”
He stressed, “We will clean the Dutse market and remove all the illegalities there and ensure they have closing time. The market doesn’t have closing time, it affect traffic, security and other things. People close their shop as late as 10pm in the night or it is when the people get tired they leave the market and it is not good for the city at all.
“Once the market closes by 6pm, everyone go home, everyone will know they are done for the day”.
He said it will not be acceptable anymore for people to finish in the shop and come and spread their goods on the road and causing traffic.
“The Minister will not accept it and it has to stop”, he said.
He noted that the Minister is committed in ensuring free flow of traffic in Dutse-Alhaji and also restore sanity in the market.
The SSA who also lamented about those people driving against traffic during peak period, which he said has to stop immediately. He said that it is very sad that most of the time you see people driving against traffic are uniform personnel and henceforth will not be acceptable.
The Assistant Director of Enforcement, Abuja Environmental Protection Board, AEPB, Kaka Bello, while contributing at the meeting, he lamented the full return of scavangers in the market and said there is need to remove them.
He said it is imperative to ensure that the market closes by 6pm and as people are coming out nobody should be allowed to go in again.
He said if they remove the illegal shops in that market some people will run and go to another market.
He said for the enforcement to be effective and strong every relevant agencies must work in synergy at all times to ensure that the marketers do not block the road again.
Secretary of FCTA Command and Control Unit, Peter Olumuji, said there is urgent need for the government to work on the potholes in order to ensure free flow of traffic. And he added that there is need to restore speed breakers in Dutse-Alhaji.
