The terminal, which will run for 24 hours, is expected to handle a high volume of passenger traffic. Photo: Tersoo Zamber/Radio Nigeria
President Bola Tinubu says the construction of bus and taxi terminals in the Federal Capital Territory represents a fundamental shift in the nation’s urban transportation strategy.
The president stated this when he inaugurated the Kugbo Bus and Taxi Terminal in the Kugbo district of the Federal Capital Territory.
President Tinubu, who was represented by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, said the Kugbo terminal, alongside its counterparts in Mabushi and the Central Area, is a meticulously planned hub designed to bring order, safety, and comfort to the commutes of residents.
“Within this terminal, you will find an organised system where vehicles and drivers are properly identified and registered, significantly reducing the risks associated with informal transport. The presence of advanced security features, including comprehensive CCTV surveillance, ensures that your journey begins and ends in a secure environment.”
President Tinubu also restated his administration’s commitment to the “Renewed Hope Agenda”, saying: “When we embarked on this journey, we made a solemn promise to rebuild and revitalise our nation’s infrastructure, to enhance the lives of our people, and to create an environment where security and efficiency are paramount. Today, we are fulfilling that promise, one significant step at a time. Step by step.”
While commending the relentless dedication of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, the President urged residents to utilize the terminal responsibly, embrace the organised system it offers, and cooperate with management to ensure its smooth operation.
Mr Wike, the FCT Minister, thanked the President for his continued support for the FCT, even as he stressed the need for the terminals to be managed by the private sector.
He also warned residents to desist from boarding vehicles by the roadside.
He said: “Now, having provided it, if you take the risk on your own now to go and wait on the road, you enter one chance. It’s your business. The government has done their own by providing you to go and board a bus or a taxi so that if anything happens, they’re going to trace it.”
The minister also reiterated the commitment of the FCT Administration to building additional bus terminals in Bwari and Gwagwalada to ensure a greater spread of safe transportation.
Chinedum Elechi, the Mandate Secretary, Transportation Secretariat, while giving a brief overview of the project, said the choice of location for construction of the Kugbo bus terminal was strategic to serve as both an inter-city and intra-city transportation hub and cater to the densely-populated residential towns surrounding it, such as Kugbo, Karu, Nyanya, and Karshi, in the FCT, as well as neighboring towns of Maraba and Keffi in Nasarawa state, from where so many people commute to the FCT for work.
Editing by Oluwaseyi Ajibade and Tony Okerafor
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