Niger state government has banned, and is to commence the immediate dismantling of illegal Motor Parks in Minna, the state capital and other major cities as part of its efforts to ensure the safety and security of its citizens.
Commissioner for Transport, Hajiya Ramatu Yar’adua disclosed this to Newsmen at Government House Minna, shortly after the state weekly Executive Council meeting.
The Commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Ibrahim Garba Musa, said the ministry is a stakeholder and is not left out in the joint efforts to combat the security challenges bedeviling the state, hence the imperative need to dismantle illegal motor parks, particular in Minna Metropolis.
“All illegal parks are to be dismantled with effect from today and all our men will be on track. They will be on the field to enforce compliance. We are advising all commercial vehicular drivers to go back to the major parks and leave the environment they are presently occupying, he stressed.
Yar’adua disclosed that her Ministry has introduced and is to begin the E-registration of all motorcycle and tricycle owners with immediate effect in other to establish a comprehensive database of motorcycles and tricycle operators in the state.
She explained that after the E-registration, which is for both private and commercial motorcycle owners, each person would be given a renewable Rider’s Card in a deliberate attempt to curtail their excesses and limit criminality in the state.
“We are going ahead with the registration of all our Motorcycles and Tricycles immediately. All Riders are expected to register, collect a rider’s card, which is renewable every two years”, she added.
According to the Commissioner, this will enable the state government establish a comprehensive database of all motorcycle riders and tricycle operators as well as those that are not commercially operating.
She urged them to, immediately, commence registration as the ban on their operation commences in earnest.
The Commissioner also revealed the approval by the State Executive Council for the introduction of an electronic monitoring and enforcement system for all traffic law violators.
Hajiya Ramatu Yar’adua said the move is to ensure strict compliance of traffic regulations adding that electronic instruments will be installed at all junctions and traffic lights such that every offending vehicle passing through those intersections will be tracked by the CCTV camera while central platform will be monitoring all vehicular movements to check violators of traffic law and will be immediately tracked and apprehended to face necessary disciplinary action.
The Commissioner also announced that the state government will immediately withdraw all government vehicle registration plate numbers as it has noticed its usage by individuals who are no longer government official.
“We are withdrawing all government vehicle registration plate numbers immediately and are re-registering them. Henceforth, all the allottees will be on our data bank and by the time we are tracking them through our E-enforcement, we will be able to identify the real persons that are supposed to be occupying those vehicles with those registration number”, she stated.