Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, is set to soon roll out the first set of Transport For All (TFA) buses to curb the incidence of one-chance syndicates in the territory.
The first batch of the buses, 15 in number, will ply Maitama and Asokoro area of Abuja, among other routes.
To curb sharp practices in the new buses, the passengers are expected to get the TFA card at N1,000 and top it up. The card will be swiped on the electronic machine in the bus to initiate a ride and swiped again to end the ride.
TFA buses are reportedly equipped with free wi-fi for passengers’ use and music to entertain them throughout the ride.
For passengers’ safety, the buses will have surveillance cameras as well as security personnel stationed inside all the time.
On what prompted the introduction of the buses, Wike said the public transportation scheme was put in place to address the incidences of “one chance” operators in the FCT.
He said: “I assure you that once the buses and taxis are on the roads, the problem of ‘one chance’ will be a thing of the past. If you make the mistake of going to enter a taxi and a bus that is not our own, it is your problem.”
According to the minister, once the buses and taxis are fully introduced, tricycles will be prohibited.
He said: “We have not taken any action against the operators of tricycles because we have not put in place a vibrant alternative, and I know some people will fight against the ban, arguing that they are struggling; but protecting our city is our number one priority.”
Past ministers of FCT had tried solving the Abuja transportation problem, to no avail.
Residents of the FCT have reacted to the TFA initiative.
Ndy Onuigbo told The Guardian that the TFA is a welcome development and a step in the right direction. She said: “It is a welcome development because people are going through a lot trying to move around Abuja. If you drive from Jabi Masalachi to Wuse Market between 6pm and 7pm, you will see hundreds of people hopelessly waiting for buses to convey them home.”
Another resident, Elewa Onoche, urged the government to focus more on making the fare affordable.
