Taxi Drivers Fault New Registration Scheme

The Abuja Taxi Owners and Drivers Welfare Association, has said that the plans by the FCT authority to have them registered under its new licenced transport companies scheme was unwise and inhuman.

Mr Francis Nwaobudo, the Chairman of the association who said this at a news conference on Sunday in Abuja, argued that the scheme, if implemented, would render the over 19, 000 registered taxi drivers in the FCT jobless and their dependants hungry.

It was gathered that the FCT authority has concluded plans to introduce a new transport scheme under its Greater FCT Operators’ Licence Scheme.

Under the scheme, the authority plans to inject more than 100 high capacity mini buses and taxis to be managed by a total of five companies which it had licenced to provide and carry out the transport services within the city.

The existing transporters are expected to register under the five licenced companies to remain in business.

The companies include Messrs Abuja Transport Cooperative Society Painted Taxi, City Cab Express Limited Painted Taxi, Print Field Enterprise Taxi, Typical Messrs CDN Limited and Shaanni Auto Limited.

“It would be most inhuman to ask our members who had been in the business of offering town services since the inception of the FCT to now go and join the employment of private companies,” the chairman said.

According to him, the scheme is “tantamount to enslavement,extortion and most unfair”.

He noted that the scheme, if not properly handled, could; “offend the sensibility of the right thinking members of the public”.

He alleged that the registered companies were being managed by capitalists who were only interested in making money without having the interest of commuters.

He further said that the leadership of the association had met with the FCT authorities severally to tell them that the proposed scheme would not only be detrimental to taxi drivers in the city but also to commuters generally.

He added that efforts to make the authorities have a rethink on the proposed scheme had proved abortive and therefore, called on President Goodluck Jonathan, the FCT Minister and other political stakeholders to intervene.

“We appeal to President Goodluck Jonathan, who our members campaigned vigorously for during his campaign by carrying his fresh air poster on our vehicles, to come to our aid and help us out,” Nwaobudo said.