President Tinubu inaugurates modern bus terminals in Abuja, promising safer transport and reforms to end the threat of one-chance operators

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]buja security received a significant boost on Thursday as President Bola Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to combat the menace of ‘one-chance’ operators with a renewed push in public transport infrastructure.

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The President, represented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, gave the assurance at the formal inauguration of the Kugbo Bus Terminal in the nation’s capital. The terminal is one of two major hubs aimed at sanitising urban mobility in Abuja.

“We heard your concerns, we understood your fears, and we acted. With your compliance, you will no longer suffer from one chance by the roadside,” he declared.

According to Tinubu, the new Kugbo terminal and the previously commissioned Mabushi terminal are designed to meet global standards in sustainable urban development and smart mobility.

He maintained that the chaotic scenes once associated with public transport in Abuja would be replaced with order, safety, and efficiency.

“You will all agree with me that the Mabushi and Kugbo International Bus Terminals meet with global practices, meet with global principles of sustainable urban development in the area of transportation, and automatically erases ugly experiences of chaotic public transportation in our capital city, previously fraught, but long with challenges,” he stated.

The initiative forms part of Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises infrastructure renewal and the safety of citizens. He reiterated that modernising transport systems was a cornerstone of national progress.

“The decision of my administration to prioritise high-impact transportation infrastructure, among which is this bus and taxi terminal, is premised on the undeniable fact that no nation no nation around the world, has been recorded to have made any noticeable progress without modernisation and expansion of its critical public mobility and public utilities,” he explained.

Tinubu praised FCT Minister Nyesom Wike for what he described as judicious use of public resources and expressed appreciation to the National Assembly for their continued support.

Responding, Wike thanked the President and disclosed that the terminal would be run by private operators, not government agencies. This, he said, was to ensure efficiency, revenue generation, and sustainability.

“Mr President, I want to say, you know, government is not a good business person. This will not be run by the transport Secretariat, no.

It will be managed by private persons who have the idea to run this kind of business, and they pay us revenue,” Wike said.

He stressed the importance of avoiding bureaucratic mismanagement, noting that public infrastructure often fails when left in the hands of civil servants and politicians.

“It will be manned by private people, so that we can talk about how it will be sustained. Because if you allow government, civil servants, politicians, to do this, I can tell you, in two weeks time, it will die,” he added.

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With the opening of these terminals, Abuja residents are now looking forward to a safer, more reliable transport experience, as part of a wider national transformation agenda.