Andrew Tarker, Abuja
Minister of the FCT, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, has
charged the FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Services and other security agencies involved with traffic management to redouble their efforts in curbing the activities of these violators of traffic rules and regulations in Abuja, the nation’s capital city.
Bello who gave the charge yesterday, at the official unveiling ceremony of FCT DRTS online vehicle and license registration service portal, said such activities left unchecked, have the capacity to roll back all the gains made by the various traffic regulation agencies over the years.
He noted that the FCT holds an unenviable position as one of the sub-nationals with a disproportionately high number of road accidents in the country.
According to him, it is quite disheartening to see drivers (in total disregard for road rules and regulations) drive right through red lights as if the lights were either non-existent or that the rules do not in any way apply to them.
He added that even worse is the nonchalance of some drivers who have formed the unhealthy habit of driving against the traffic often
with very unpleasant consequences, saying that a recalcitrant driver not only endangers his or her life but also those of the passengers and other road users as well.
Stressing the need for residents to comply with all rules regulating road usage in the FCT, the Minister said it is also imperative that they join in this crusade to ensure safety on FCT roads by ensuring that drivers obey traffic
rules at all times.
Commenting on DRTS online registration platform, he said it is a part of the Administration’s overall ease of doing business strategy will not only save countless man hours, but also tremendously improve the overall motoring experience for drivers in the FCT.
“Leveraging technology in this manner is therefore unavoidable in order to improve efficiency within the system and it is our intention to deploy similar measures for other service providing sectors of the FCT Administration as well.
“On our part the FCT Administration will continue to place
road safety and proper traffic management services on the
front burner of its development agenda and I call for the
cooperation of all road users in the FCT to make our roads as safe as they can be”, the Minister stressed.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the DRTS Director, Dr. Bello Abdul-lateef, opined that the introduction of the Self-Service vehicle registration portal in the FCT will be a game changer for motor vehicle registration with all the multiplier advantages.
He said: “Online Vehicle registration will allow a client to register his or her vehicles from the comfort of their homes in real-time; It reduces multiple registration of vehicles as this will further strengthen the integrity of the FCT database.
“Furthermore, unwholesome activities as well as touting and other human errors will be drastically reduced to the barest minimum; it will be time and energy saving; and It will in no doubt, stimulate revenue generation as all leakages are drastically reduced”