By Wisdom Acka
Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS) says the Popular Area 1 motor park has been handed over to transport unions for its efficient management and operations.
DRTS Head of Operation, Deborah Osho disclosed this yesterday, during a clean up exercise of the park in Area 1, Garki, Abuja.
Osho decried that the FCT Administration, last week, cleaned up the park only for it to be reoccupied by illegal activities and miscreants, forcing them to return for another cleansing.
She said her team removed about 10 vehicles out of the park alone to create space for the transport unions to take over.
“There’s need for the park to be occupied and used, that’s why we invited the union to bring in their vehicles so that they can start using the place, instead of littering the streets with their vehicles”, he said.
She explained that the exercise, which would be replicated in all motor parks in Abuja, would assist in curbing issues of illegal parking along the road.
According to her, bringing them into the park will also help resolve the issue of insecurity in the city, particularly that of one-chance, which is already reducing.
She adds: “We have appealed to leaders of the unions to get their men to bring in their vehicles into the park and take possession of it. That’s what we are going to do to every taxi rank in the FCT.”
For Deputy National President, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Dr. Abubakar Sadiq, who took over the park on behalf of the operators, promised to run the park in line with guidelines of government.
He said: “All of us are now together in making sure our members operate according to guidelines provided by the government.
“We have shown now that we are mature enough to be able to coordinate and manage ourselves better”, which has given the government more confidence to give us this facility to run.
Sadiq, who is also Chairman, All Transport Operators in FCT, however, expressed displeasure over certain happenings in the parks, regarding standards, as well as security, but assured the public of good and safe transport service from the motor parks.
