FCTA, concessionaires sign agreement to commence park and pay scheme in Abuja

FCTA, concessionaires sign agreement to commence park and pay scheme in Abuja

 

Favour Ishember, Abuja

 

 

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has recommended the  establishment of  park and pay scheme in Abuja as it signed an agreement with a

group of concessionaires  on-street parking.

 

 

The Permanent Secretary, FCTA, Mr Olusade Adesola, who signed on behalf of the FCTA at the weekend, said  the move was to promote a culture of orderliness and organisation in vehicle parking.

 

According to him, the initiative will decongest the city and make motoring a more pleasant experience.

 

Adesola explained that the scheme was suspended in 2014 by an Abuja High Court, on grounds that it was not backed by a law.

 

He also said that the earlier implementation was without the approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

 

He, however, said that the FCTA has put a regulation in place and secured FEC’s approval, to ensure a smooth implementation of the scheme, considering its benefits.

 

The permanent secretary explained that under the scheme, parking lots would be provided for vehicle owners for a fee, while motorists that indulge in wrong packing would be fined.

 

He added that the reintroduction of the scheme was with the active support of the six Area Councils.

 

Adesola explained that the FCTA and the councils have agreed that all wrong and rights charges would be consolidated and shared between the Administration and the six area councils.

 

He emphasised that implementation would not commence immediately until residents were fully sensitised and enlightened about the scheme.

 

“So, while the agreement is being signed today, the commencement of the park and pay is not starting today.

 

“The communication that should precede the implementation of the project is that the citizens need to know that we are signing on-street parking.

 

“A lot of activities will follow. There will be robust stakeholders’ engagement; the operators will visit key institutions and will engage residents through electronic and print media.

 

“This is to ensure that people are sensitised and above all, to be aware that there will be a period of free parking, just for people to know how to use the facility,” he said.

 

Earlier, Mr Wadata, Bodinga, Director, Traffic Management, Transportation Secretariat, FCTA noted that the increase in  population growth in the FCT was accompanied by congestion and traffic challenges.

 

Bodinga said that development has led to haphazard parking, increased parking competition and traffic congestion.

 

This, according to him, exposes the motoring public and the pedestrian to security and road hazards, adding that reintroduction of the initiative would mitigate the challenges.

 

He said that the scheme would impact positively on economic activities of FCT residents, through improving customer experience and promoting efficient parking management systems.

 

According to him, the scheme will enable customers to find easy parking spaces, thereby saving time and fuel, especially with removal of fuel subsidy.

 

“The FCTA gazetted Federal Capital Territory Parking Scheme, 2019, with the accompanying guidelines, provides legal basis for the implementation of the on-street parking scheme.

 

“This will increase the safety and security of vehicles and pedestrians, reduce traffic and pollution, and improve the aesthetic of the urban city and workplace for the motoring public.

.As Abuja residents Laud FCTA’s Consistent Clamp Down on “One Chance”  Operators

Some residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, have commended ongoing efforts by the FCT Administration to rid the city off “one chance” operators.

 

The residents gave the commendation in Abuja on Saturday, during the ongoing raid on one chance operators, illegal motor parks and motorists engaged in illegal parking around the city.

 

One of the residents, Mr Aminu Usman, described the initiative as a “welcome development”, stressing that the efforts would ensure safety of public transportation within the city.

 

Usman disclosed that he was once a victim of one chance operators when he first came into the city, explaining that the operators collected N3,000 from him for a trip of N300.

 

“One of my friends was also a victim when he entered a taxi from Gwarinpa to AYA, only for the operators to take him somewhere else and collected all his valuables.

 

“This initiative will significantly address the menace of one chance operators and encourage residents to board taxis at designated motor parks where they can make complaints when they are shortchanged,” he said.

 

Also, Mrs Josephine Michael, a resident of Life Camp, Abuja,  said that the efforts to rid the city of one chance operators would make residents feel safe and secure.

 

“I am always afraid whenever I want to board a vehicle, particularly at night in the city, because I do not want to enter the wrong taxi and end up with one chance.

 

“I really commend the FCTA for taking the bold step to ensure that residents feel safe whenever they need to take a taxi,” she said.

 

Mr Peter Olumuji, Secretary, Command and Control, FCTA Taskforce, enforcing sanity in the city, said that the taskforce has in the last few weeks been clamping down on illegal motor parks.

 

According to Olumuji, the “one chance” operators operate discreetly among motorists operating in illegal motor parks.

 

“We realised that when we dislodged illegal motor parks, the operations of one chance syndicates will significantly reduce.

 

“This is because, most of the one chance activities are done through unpainted taxis operating illegal motor parks and that is why we have been going after them.”

 

He advised residents against boarding unpainted taxis in undesignated motor parks so as not to become victims.

 

“To the one chance operators, the clamp down is a continued exercise. We will not allow you to breathe until you suffocate and leave the city,” he said.

 

On her part, Mrs Deborah Osho, the Head of Operations, Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), said that over 30 vehicles were impounded for illegal parking and operating in illegal motor parks.

 

Osho said that more than 100 vehicles have been impounded so far since the Operation Clean Abuja began some weeks ago.

 

“Everyone should obey the law. There are designated parking spaces for the motoring public and designated motor parks for commercial vehicles, use them or we will arrest you,” she said.

 

The vehicles were impounded around Area 1, Area 10, Area 11, AYA bus stop, and Banex Junction among others.

 

The taskforce team comprises the Nigerian Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, Department of State Security, Immigration Service, Correctional Service, and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

 

Others are DRTS, Abuja Environmental Protection Board, Social Development Secretariat, and other relevant agencies in the FCT.