President Bola Tinubu on Thursday assured residents of the Federal Capital Territory that his administration was tackling the menace of ‘one-chance’ cab operators with reforms in public transport infrastructure.
Tinubu, represented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, gave the assurance at the inauguration of the Kugbo Bus Terminal in Abuja.
“We heard your concerns, we understood your fears, and we acted. With your compliance, you will no longer suffer from one chance by the roadside,” he said.
Tinubu said the newly built terminal, along with the earlier commissioned Mabushi terminal, would end chaotic public transport in the capital.
He said: “You will all agree with me that the Mabushi and Kugbo International Bus Terminals meet with global practices, meet with global principles of sustainable urban development in the area of transportation, and automatically erases ugly experiences of chaotic public transportation in our capital city, previously fraught, but long with challenges.
“The terminals align with development goals of transit-oriented cities, smart mobility, compact living spaces, parking management, willing support of stakeholders and citizens, and ultimately transforming lives.”
The President said the construction of the terminals was part of his “solemn promise” through his Renewed Hope Agenda, to revitalise the country’s infrastructure, and entrench security and efficiency.
“The decision of my administration to prioritise high-impact transportation infrastructure, among which is this bus and taxi terminal, is premised on the undeniable fact that no nation—no nation—around the world, has been recorded to have made any noticeable progress without modernisation and expansion of its critical public mobility and public utilities,” he said.
He commended the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, for the efficient use of public funds and also thanked the National Assembly for their support.
In his address, the FCT Minister thanked the President for his support, saying that the terminal will not be managed by the government through the transport secretariat but rather through private individuals, who will ensure proper maintenance.
“Mr President, I want to say, you know, government is not a good business person. This will not be run by the transport Secretariat, no. It will be managed by private persons who have the idea to run this kind of business, and they pay us revenue.
“It will be manned by private people, so that we can talk about how it will be sustained. Because if you allow government, civil servants, politicians, to do this, I can tell you, in two weeks time, it will die,” Wike said.
Persecondnews reports that the nation’s capital continues to struggle with the notorious ‘One Chance’ cab syndicate, a gang that pose as legitimate taxi drivers to deceive and harm unsuspecting commuters.
This organised crime disproportionately targets vulnerable individuals, particularly women, subjecting them to horrific experiences of robbery, rape, and brutality, resulting in lasting emotional trauma and potentially life-threatening consequences.
One of the incidents led to the tragic death of a woman, Greatness Olorunfemi, a human resource consultant and member of the YALI Network in Abuja, who was brutally pushed out of a moving vehicle along the Maitama-Kubwa Expressway.
Ms Olorunfemi was stabbed and, unfortunately, lost her life after being left unattended at the Maitama General Hospital.
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