Wike to stop ‘pick and drop’ in Abuja

Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Minister, Nyesom Wike has said the Administration will stop commercial buses and taxis from picking up and dropping off passengers on Abuja roads.

The minister stated this on Tuesday, after inspection of the ongoing construction of Kugbo and Mabushi bus terminals in Abuja.

He said that commercial buses and taxis in the FCT must operate from the bus terminals when the projects are fully completed.

Wike who expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of work on the projects, also said the projects will change Abuja’s landscape and improve transportation in the nation’s capital when completed.

He said: “By the time we finish these terminals you don’t need to be having those ones, we won’t allow buses and taxis to pick on the roads. Everybody has to move to the various terminals.

“I’m so excited. This site (Mabushi bus terminal) was flagged off in July of this year, and within three months, you can see what they’ve been able to do.

“The time given to them is 15 months to complete the project, but with the speed the contractor is going, I believe it will be completed before the 15 months. He (the contractor) even told us that by January, he would be able to hand over this project to us, this Mabushi, and the one at Kugbo.

“The quality of work, you can see for yourself. If you were here when we flagged off the two, you would know that they’ve really done very well.

“I’m happy that at the end of the day, the residents of Abuja would see that we have changed the landscape of the area; we have given them different transportation systems, which they have been yearning for but lacked for years. So, we are very happy with what we have seen”.

On the bus terminal for the Abuja Central Business District, the Minister said the issues surrounding the project have been resolved, paving the way for work to commence.

He said, “We had some problems there, but we have been able to sort them out. There are a lot of underground facilities that they’ve tried to settle with the FCDA. I’m sure that very soon, work will seriously start there.”

Earlier while conducting the Minister round the Kugbo and Mabushi bus terminals, the CEO, Planet Projects, the construction company handling the projects, Engr. Abiola Otunola, disclosed that a substantial part of the work on the bus terminals has been achieved, adding that the company was working round the clock to ensure the completion of the project by January 2025.