From Fred Itua, Abuja
In order to address traffic gridlock and insecurity in the Dutse Alhaji axis of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has said it has concluded arrangements to start the enforcement of Deidei Market at 6 pm closing time.
Senior Special Assistant to Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Mr Attah Attah, stated this at a consultative and strategy meeting at the weekend with heads of security agencies and paramilitary organisations, especially those in charge of Dutse Alhaji axis in his office in Abuja.
He lamented the continuous flouting of traffic regulations by motorists in the area, especially during the peak period which he identified as the major cause of gridlock. He, therefore, said the Administration is committed to ensuring the free flow of traffic in the area.
Accordingly to the Ikharo, “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 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 that “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 an engineering solution.
“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 10 pm 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 6 pm, 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 Assistant Director of Enforcement, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), Kaka Bello, while contributing at the meeting, lamented the full return of scavengers in the market and said there is a need to remove them.
He said it is imperative to ensure that the market closes by 6 pm 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 agency 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. He added that there is need to restore speed breakers in Dutse Alhaji.