The Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS) in the FCT, says its Special Task Team impounded 1,408 motor vehicles, 3,712 commercial motorcycles and 1,112 tricycles between January and December 2023 in the territory.
This was contained in the DRTS statistics made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja by its Head of Public Relations and Enlightenment, Mr. Kalu Emetu
According to the statistics, the 3,712 commercial motorcycles impounded have been crushed while some of the vehicles were released to their owners after payment of fines and effecting necessary repairs.
He said that the directorate generated more than N127.541 million in 2023 from fines paid into government coffers by owners of the impounded vehicles and tricycles
Emetu explained that motor vehicles impounded that were no longer road worthy were usually unbundled into scrap and handed over to their owners, to prevent them from being put back on the road.
He explained that destruction of the motorcycles and vehicles was in line with the FCT regulation on the ban on commercial motorcycles and unworthy vehicles within the city.
The spokesman added that by law, all the motorcycles impounded for violating traffic rules were automatically forfeited to the government.
A breakdown of the figures showed that 217 vehicles, 836 commercial motorcycles, and 298 tricycles were impounded between January and March 2023 across the FCT.
The DRTS also impounded 270 vehicles, 964 motorcycles, and 268 tricycles in the second quarter of the year under review, while 482 vehicles, 931 motorcycles, and 353 tricycles were impounded from July to September.
In the last quarter of the year, the DRTS data indicated that 425 vehicles, 832 commercial motorcycles and 186 tricycles were intercepted in the territory for various offences.
In Lagos, the police impounded 257 commercial motorcycles for plying restricted roads and committing other traffic offences.
Spokesperson of the Lagos Police Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, said the motorcycles were seized by a Rapid Response Squad, RRS team during special operations on Wednesday.
Hundeyin said already, the Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, has displayed the seized motorcycles at the command’s headquarters.
He also said that CP Fayoade commended the RRS team for its efforts.
The police spokesman further said that the patrol operation would be a routine exercise, following reckless riding by commercial motorcyclists on some major roads across the state.
He said that the impounded motorcycles would be crushed along with others seized earlier by operatives of the command.