After a lot of controversies, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) was able to ban Abuja’s green buses, which were popularly known as araba, from operating in the city last year.
The first time it tried to enforce the ban, it was greeted by a fierce public protests from the residents, as well as the transporters, under the pretext that it was ‘impossible’, too sudden, and not preceded by public sensitization.
The Administration, however, called it off for a while.
Not that that was followed by any sort of sensitization. Having gagged the key transporters with money to stop them from going against the policy, as widely reported, when it brought it up again, nobody dared protested thanks to the horde of armed security agents that lined the roads.
Despite the fact that few of the buses are now painted in other colours and towing between satellite towns and the city centre, thus araba became a history.
However, more than one year after the ban, only a quarter of the residents seem to board the high capacity buses – which were brought in as alternative.
Between June 2 and yesterday, of the 19 residents who Blueprint interviewed on the issue, 16 would still prefer the FCTA to bring back the banned transport scheme.
Only three of them, who each had a personal car, were still in support of the ban.
Bilkisu Mohammed, a resident of Dei-Dei who works at Bannex Plaza, said if not for the private motorists who carry passengers whenever they are going to or coming back from work, Abuja would have been hit by lack of enough public transportation means.
According to her, in spite the number of high capacity buses that the FCTA has been pushing in to alternate the ban, there would have been a dearth of means of transportation, unlike when there was araba.
“If not for the private cars that carry passengers, there would not have been enough means of transportation in Abuja. The big buses are not enough. You will see them free in the afternoon but in the morning and evening when there are many people, they are never enough. I still prefer araba; I will be happy if they can bring it back,” she said.
For, Mr. Micheal Ayodele, a resident of Lugbe, the high capacity buses are not fast, hence residents “would never fall in love with them”.
According to him, if they were fast and do not stop at every bus stop to drop or pick passengers, “residents would like it because, at least, it is cheaper.”
He added that: “Since they banned araba, I have not boarded the big buses; I wait for taxis or private cars. Even if they are not available and a big bus is passing, I let it go. I don’t like it, period! If people come out now protesting that araba should be brought back, I will join them.”
On her part, Rosemary John, a resident of Mararaba, believes that the high capacity buses, apart from being slow, are always filled with “rugs, thieves pick-pockets, preachers and even hawkers who I wouldn’t want to see if I am commuting.”
According to her, “there wasn’t such insanity in araba buses. As araba buses have been banned, I wait for taxis or private cars; I don’t board el-Rufai buses. But some times taxis and private cars going to the town are unavailable, especially in the afternoon. When araba was still around, you will see them anytime.”
However, Mr. Thomas Pakimo, an architect who comes to the city centre from Suleja every day in his own car, believes that the ban has instilled sanity on the roads.
He said araba drivers drove recklessly, hence caused a lot of accidents.
According to him, “some of them drove unserviced and smoke-emitting buses which questioned the repute of Abuja as Nigeria’s capital.”
He, however, advised the FCTA’s to introduce small cars “since the residents obviously don’t like the high capacity buses.”
