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FCTA to build 14 rail stations

By on June 22, 2013

Preparatory to the inauguration of the Abuja Rail Project, the FCT Administration will soon perform the ground breaking for 14 rail stations across the Federal Capital Territory and some satellite towns.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed, who said this at the 2013 Ministerial Platform in Abuja on Thursday, explained that the rail project, though awarded in 2007, had only attained a progress status of between 21.12 and 25.57 per cent with 4.38 per cent of that achieved between May 2012 and April 2013.

According to him, the Federal Government has shown commitment to deliver the project by signing a $500m loan agreement with the Chinese Exim Bank to facilitate the implementation of the project.

He emphasized that the project had positive multiplier effects on Nigerians as 600 formal and informal jobs had so far been created and the figure would be doubled as work progressed on the vital areas.

The minister said the project comprised the design and construction of 45.245-kilometre standard gauge railway tracks and associated permanent way, station buildings, bridges and culverts, as well as communication and signalling of Lots 1A and 3.

On high capacity buses, Mohammed stated that the FCTA had increased the number of participants in the FCT Operator Licence Scheme to seven and that currently, the National Union of Road Transport Workers had 40 buses; AUMTCO, 250 buses; FABREM, 40 buses; Shaaxi, 40 buses; while AUTOSTAR, SECDA as well as RTEIN had been licensed to add a minimum of 50 buses each before the end of 2013.

He recalled that Vice-President Namadi Sambo had last week inaugurated 160 brand new taxis under the Abuja Taxi Scheme, which is expected to be increased to 1,000 before the end of the year.

 

 

 

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