The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Directorate of Road Transport Services (DRTS) says plans are underway to take the census of dispatch riders operating within the territory to curb illicit drug peddlers.

“The administration is looking at ensuring dispatch riders are registered under a company so that the companies can provide the details of their dispatch riders alongside the company’s Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) licence,” the FCT DRTS director, Wadata Bodinga, said.

Mr Bodinga disclosed that special number plates were to be administered to every legal dispatch motorcycle in the FCT to help citizens identify legitimate riders.

“Most of those using this dispatch business for drug peddling are not the owners of the motorcycles.

“Recently, some dispatch riders had been arrested for drug peddling within the city which is a bad omen.

“Now once a company knows that their name is at stake and any illegal act can lead to the likely cancellation of your licence, then extra operational care will be applied.

“Every company has its logo. So we expect each company to paint their dispatch motorcycles in its colour and logo for easy identification as a way to ensure they are checkmated,” he said.

He said that the new development would assist the service alongside other security agencies to equally have information regarding the riders and the areas they operate.

“This will make it easier for security agencies to track riders and others who act as bad eggs by coming into the business to infiltrate the business and by so doing affect the good eggs,” he said.

The director frowned at those who wake up, buy motorcycles, mount delivery boxes, and decide to call them dispatch riders.

He, however, said the reason for the delay in the issuance of the new special number plates for delivery riders was the need for a system upgrade by the DRTS.

“Most of our systems require an upgrade but we have finished all the software upgrades and we have almost rounded up the interaction with the various stakeholders which is very important.

“We are ensuring we interact with them well so that they understand the benefit they are to derive from this noble scheme,” he said.