Senate Chambers

The Senate at plenary on Thursday, concurred to a House of Representatives Bill seeking to establish Federal Capital Territory (FCT) traffic management service.

The adoption followed presentation of the bill entitled: “Directorate of Road Traffic Administration Service Bill, 2019” by the Leader of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan.

The bill sought to establish a directorate charged with the responsibility of enforcing parking laws as well as regulate road traffic management and motor vehicle administration within the FCT.

It further empowers the FCT Administration in collaboration with the FCT Internal Revenue Service, to embark on total enforcement of parking rules.

The directorate would also be responsible for producing and administering vehicles’ and drivers’ licences in collaboration with relevant federal agencies.

It would also regulate, register , revoke, license and renew motor vehicle documents including issuance of vehicle identification number plates within the FCT.

It would also conduct road worthiness test and issue road worthiness certificates to all categories of vehicles for the purposes of ridding the FCT of non-road worthy vehicles.

The directorate would also be responsible for the training and testing of drivers to ensure competence for issuance of drivers licence.

It would also regulate and enforce the use of bus stops and bus terminals, accredit driving schools while enforcing ban on the use of motorcycles as a means of public transport in the FCT among others.

Meanwhile, six other bills were equally adopted by the senate.

They are – University Veterinary Teaching Hospitals and Veterinary Specialist Hospital Abuja (Constitution 0f Boards) Bill, 2019, National Biosafety Management Agency Act (Amendment) Bill, 2019, National Biosafety Management Agency Act (Amendment) Bill, 2019 and Defence Intelligence Agency Civilian Pension Board (est,etc) Bill 2019.

Also adopted are ,University of Maiduguri Act (Amendment) Bill, 2019, Obafemi Awolowo University (Transitional Provisions) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2019
and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi Act (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, put passage of the bills to voice vote and they were adopted by the lawmakers.