No fewer than 250 commercial taxi drivers have been arrested in Abuja within two days for flouting a Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) directive banning more than one passenger in the front seat.
The FCT Sector Commander, Felix Theman, disclosed this in a statement issued by the command’s Public Education Officer, Helen Ntaji, on Saturday.
The arrests follow the launch of a fresh enforcement operation on October 2, aimed at cracking down on overloading and unsafe practices in the capital’s chaotic transport system.
Theman said the exercise is part of his agenda to “restore passenger dignity and safety” across Abuja’s roads.
“Enforcement is the most civil and effective means to ensure that safety is not compromised for convenience,” Theman said.
“In the first two days alone, over 250 commercial vehicles and drivers were apprehended for violating the directive mandating only one passenger in the front seat of taxis.”
The FRSC stressed that squeezing two passengers into the front seat is not only illegal but also dangerous because it prevents proper use of seatbelts, overstresses tyres and suspension systems, and reduces driver control in emergencies.
Theman warned drivers who continue the practice that they were “risking lives” and would face stiff consequences.
Read also:
- FRSC confirms 4 dead in BUA cement truck crash on Second Niger Bridge
- FRSC arrests 48 in 1 month for attempted bribery in Cross River, says majority of Drivers lack Licences
- FRSC convicts 34 in Cross River crackdown, warns against bribery
He also directed operators of rickety, unsafe vehicles to upgrade or risk their vehicles being impounded.
The crackdown, according to the FRSC, was preceded by months of consultations with transport unions and stakeholders across the FCT.
The unions, the agency claimed, have pledged to support the move and help sensitise drivers on safer practices.
Mobile magistrate courts are being deployed to prosecute offenders on the spot.
The FRSC said full-scale mobile court operations would begin on Monday, October 6, to ensure swift punishment of violators.
Theman also urged commuters to support the exercise, insisting that passengers have a right to “safe and dignified transportation” and should not keep quiet when drivers endanger their lives.
