The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has said that owners of 149 impounded cars, 100 tricycles and several motorcycles will appear before a mobile court for various traffic offences in the city centre.

Dr Abdulateef Bello, the Director, FCTA Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), also known as Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIOs), who disclosed this on Friday after inspecting the impounded vehicles, said the owners would pay dearly for their offences.

He explained that the offences included parking in unauthorised areas, driving against traffic and operating unregistered and unpainted taxis, as well as illegal motor parks.

He said, "I always advise that it is cheaper to be on the side of the law and obey simple rules and regulations.

"We have asked commercial motorists to register and operate within the defined routes and motor parks and not to pick indiscriminately from the road corridors.

"We have also told the tricycle operators to operate within the confines of the road plan, already agreed upon.

"They are not supposed to come into the city. They are supposed to transport people that are going into estates and towards suburbs of the city."

The director noted that the directorate was working with the Transport Secretariat of the FCTA to review existing road traffic policies on traffic management to ensure effective regulation of road traffic management.

He also noted that until the Abuja Mass Transit became fully operational to meet the needs of commuters, the directorate would continue to battle with unregistered vehicles operating illegally in the city.

He added, "This is because it is a function of demand and supply, but I am sure in no distant time all these will be a (sic) thing of the past." (NAN).