The many blunders of FCT transport secretariat

The Better Rapid Transit, BRT commonly known as the Bus Rapid Transit was introduced to tackle the problems of traffic jams in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT but it seems the transportation secretariat lacks initiative on how to go about it. Can they ever get it right?

It is said in the local parlance, “Anything worth doing is worth doing well.” It is also said, “If you can’t beat them, you join them.”

Dedicated BRT lane in Lagos

The Better Rapid Transit, BRT was adopted by the Lagos state government under the auspices of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Agency, LAMATA, with the aim of giving a lasting solution to the traffic problems in the state and to also create an easy, affordable, fast and cost-effective transportation for its populace.

However, prior to the introduction of the BRT in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, the Transportation Secretariat sent delegation to other parts of the world including Lagos to understudy how the BRT operates.

Our findings showed that the Transportation Secretariat led by Engineer Jonathan Ivoke commenced the operation without any preparation on ground. There were no facilities such as ticketing booths, bus shelters and proper delineation of the dedicated BRT lanes.

Experts said if the FCTA is copying Lagos state or any other country or organisation, they should either do it the way they copied it or surpass them by doing it better but the case of the FCT is the opposite.

Bus stop

Unlike what is obtained in Lagos, the LAMATA manages the operation of the BRT, but in FCT, the Secretariat handles the management of the BRT alongside other things begging for attention.

Also, instead of going on with the planned commencement of the BRT, the Transportation Secretariat abandoned the project and decided to use the Subsidy Re-investment Programme, SURE-P buses provided by the federal government.

To worsen the matter, the secretariat went ahead to ban the operation of the mini-buses in the Territory without proper arrangement on ground for alternatives hence commuters were stranded which eventually led to protest in some parts of the territory.

And when the BRT was re-introduced with some companies bringing in more buses to the fore, there were no provisions for them to operate smoothly like it is done in Lagos where they have dedicated lanes.

Experts said there is possible failure in the operation of the BRT in the nearest future considering the fact that other cities where BRT systems are used have dedicated and very broad roads.

The damaged plastic demarcation causing accident

Recently, the FCTA acquired some thousands of plastic barriers for demarcation for BRT lane. In Lagos they make use of concrete barricades and even at that they are being damaged by trucks and trailers who often use them as a stopper whenever they experience break failure.

A staff in the Transport Secretariat who spoke on anonymity disclosed that the plastic barriers were bought so that, when they get spoilt, they would order for replacement but if they go for the concrete one, their means of making money every time for themselves would stop.

He further claimed that the plastic barriers are more expensive than the concrete ones. “Majority of the people working for government are here for their personal gains not for national interests. Some construction companies were ready to do it for free for us as their corporate responsibilities while some said they were going to do it for less the amount they used in acquiring the amount they used in bringing the plastic ones.”

Meanwhile, we discovered that the barriers are being destroyed by motorists who are angry that the barriers are causing accidents while some felt that the road was not broad enough.

We gathered that before now, there were plans by the FCTA to widen the road from AYA to Mararaba, the boundary between Abuja and Nasarawa but were abandoned halfway before Kugbo Furniture market.

Rickety BRT bus in Abuja

A motorist, Johnson Akeredolu, who resides in Karu, claimed that if the FCTA had continued the road project maybe up to Karu or Nyanya, it would have been easier for a lane to be dedicated to the BRT but any attempt to do it now would worsen the already traffic jam situation in the area.

However, it is worrisome that provision is not meant for the BRT operation in the FCT, which is in the Abuja masterplan.

During our last visit to Nyanya-Kugbo-Keffi road, we discovered that the barriers have been removed by angry motorists who felt that they are causing unnecessary traffic jam. The worrisome aspect of it is that even the buses that the demarcations are meant for don’t use them.

Unlike what is obtained in Lagos, where the lane is restricted to BRT buses, in Abuja, the private car owners make use of the lane even more than the buses unchallenged.

Meanwhile, the transport operators are not happy with the traffic situation in the FCT especially on Nyanya-Kugbo road as they not only spend hours on the road thereby burning their fuel/diesel unnecessarily but also drag road with other smaller vehicles which sometimes end up causing problem between them and other motorists.

Some of them who spoke on anonymity told Newsworld that they are finding it difficult to operate smoothly in the FCT. According to our source in the Abuja Urban Mass Transit Company, AUMTCO, she said the Transport Secretariat of the FCT Administration has failed to play their roles by not putting the necessary things in place.

She claimed that if the Transport Secretariat has put the barriers, nobody would have dragged space or road with them or hit their vehicles as it is the case on daily basis.

Another source in Shaanxi Bus Company, who also does not want his name mentioned; complained that they are having challenges because the Transport Secretariat failed to implement all their agreements in place.

He said in Lagos where they also operate, they make gains because lanes are dedicated to them hence they arrive at their destinations at good time unlike what they are experiencing in Abuja where they spend hours on the road.

The FCTA claimed that it would soon demarcate permanent BRT lanes for its buses. Chairman of the Taskforce on Traffic Management of High Capacity Bus Routes in the FCT, Wilson Unogwu said, the taskforce along with the 750 Vehicle Inspection Officers and the mobile court will ensure compliance with the measure.

He revealed that an agency would be established to enforce the measure alongside the 750 VIO personnel recruited to enforce the non-violation of the BRT lane.

“For now the taskforce has to do that job. We cannot wait for the agency to be established. That is why the taskforce is performing this role. During the yuletide period, a mobile court was inaugurated. That mobile court will also serve in this enforcement. If you are apprehended, you will be handed over to the mobile court for you to be prosecuted as the need arises,” he warned.

Experts said the enforcement may not be achieved afterall because of the security operatives in the FCT. Unogwu disclosed that the major challenge currently facing the committee was security personnel who violated the BRT lane.

“We are going to write to all the formations to warn them, and also, when the delineators are placed, we will now close the entry point. It is only when the BRT buses are coming that we will open it for them to use.”

It would be recalled that the territory is presently being littered with motorcycles by security operatives despite the ban. It took the personal intervention by the governor of Lagos state, Babatunde Fashola for the military and other security operatives in the state to stop using the BRT lane.

Ibrahim Abdullahi, a business man believes that if the FCTA emulates Lagos properly, they will not only ease traffic jam but also make brisk money from the BRT policy.

Meanwhile, the secretary of the Transport Secretariat, Engr Ivoke, at a press conference to usher in the new transport policy claimed that the introduction would see the ban on mini-buses hence the road would be free.

He claimed that when a lane is dedicated to the BRT, motorists would be forced to park their cars and join the BRT but the current traffic situation in the territory especially along Nyanya-Kugbo road is alarming and unimaginable. This has resulted to motorists especially security operatives driving against the traffic during peak periods and also blare their sirens.

Even the Directorate of Road Traffic Services, otherwise known as the VIO; Police, Federal road Safety Corps, FRSC could not stop them. Even the threat of the director of the DRTS, Engr. Wilson Alade that they will deal with offenders driving against the traffic seems to hold no waters as people drive freely on one-way.

Meanwhile, investigation has shown that people now spend hours from AYA (Asokoro district) to Nyanya, a journey of less than 10 to 15 minutes, even the people that would have loved to park their cars are not thinking towards that because there are no roads for the BRT buses. The buses have to drag the small spaces with other vehicle users to get to their destinations.

Abdullahi claimed that if the FCTA had put structures in place to accommodate the BRT, many people would have parked their cars and join the BRT which, will make the road to be free.

To worsen the situations, the buses are few for the large number of passengers plying that route on daily basis. Our correspondent who took a walk to most of the bus-stops saw how passengers were stranded waiting endlessly for vehicles while some resorted to trekking long distances.

We saw some of them jumping at any private vehicles at sight, not minding the implication of such acts. David Okonofua said he would rather prefer to join private car owners and pay more to get to his destination on time than wait endlessly for BRT buses.

We gathered that the private car owners now capitalise on the current transportation situation to charge higher than the required transportation fare.

A passenger, who is also a journalist, who simply gave her name as Justina, is worried that the transportation secretariat is not keeping to its promises. According to her, apart from the barriers they promised, the mini-buses to augment that of the taxis inside the City centre are not visible anywhere.

“Rickety taxis are scattered across the city while the ones inaugurated recently are nowhere in the city instead they are used for long distances where BRT buses are supposed to be operating.

“Tricycles otherwise known as Keke NAPEP are still operating at the supposed restricted areas. Even the so-called BRT buses are not enough to take care of the passengers in the territory. Why is the FCTA inconsistent? I think they lack initiatives.” she asked.

As usual, the Transport Secretary, Engr Jonathan Ivoke did not pick his telephone calls and efforts to see him proved abortive. A staff in the secretariat, who spoke on anonymity, claimed it is easier to see President Goodluck Jonathan than seeing his boss. His reason is that he has no answers to most of the questions that would be asked and whenever a story is done against him, he harasses everybody in the office especially those in the Public Relations department.

The BRT, which is an initiative of an international organization to solve the transportation problems of major and mega cities of the world, is presently adopted in more than a hundred mega cities in the world such as Johannesburg, South Africa; Colorado, USA etc.

Some experts are of the opinion that the issue of a faster transportation system may be forfeited because the roads available for private and BRT vehicles are not wide enough. They said if the roads are not widened enough to accommodate more vehicles, people might resort to using the lanes that may be meant only for the BRT buses.