Poor Conditions Of Abuja Motor Parks Put Passengers At Risk

…Govt Has Neglected Us For 22 Years- NURTW

By all standards, Abuja is one of the well-planned cities in the country with its beautiful landscape, expansive roads, and architectural masterpieces dotting the entire city centre.

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Little wonder many people when coming into the city centre for the first time marvel at its architectural design and stateliness.

However, despite its attractiveness, the transport system, particularly the state of motor parks is still far below modern standards.

For instance, the Nyanya and Utako parks are two of the biggest motor parks in the city. Both motor parks are operated by the National Union of Road Transport Workers and patronized by residents that travel to various parts of the country.

However, despite the huge importance of these parks to the transportation system in the nation’s capital, findings revealed that they are poorly maintained.

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Apart from Utako and Nyanya, other motor parks in Garki, Area one, Zuba and Gwagwalada are all in terrible conditions without any infrastructure.

While officials of motor parks union collect levies from commercial vehicles at these parks, no meaningful development has been done on them.

For instance, at the popular Utako park in Abuja, it is almost impossible to enter the park without one having to perceive the smell of urine or feces.

Our correspondent who visited the motor park on Wednesday saw some travelers urinating just beside the second gate of the motor park.

Even a notice which was inscribed on the wall that reads “Do not urinate here. Penalty is N1,000” was not enough to deter some of the people from answering the call of nature at the entrance of the motor park.

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Some of the passengers who spoke to our correspondent in separate interviews blamed the development on lack of adequate facilities at the motor parks.

They called on the Federal Capital Territory Administration to rehabilitate the motor parks to enable it reflect the status of a modern city.

One of the drivers at the Utako park who gave his name as Yakubu said that majority of people in the nation’s capital come to the park to board vehicles when traveling out of Abuja.

He said while the government had committed so much resources in upgrading the airports, a little attention should also be given to the motor parks.

He said, “The entrance to this park (Utako) is in terrible condition. The road inside the park is not tarred, there are no drainage system, even the facilities inside the motor park are obsolete and does not befit the status of a capital city.

“We are suffering because of lack of facilities in this motor park. For instance, anytime it rains, the whole place is flooded because there is no drainage system.

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“The motor park is always dirty and smelling of urine. Most of us who come here to do business have lost hope about the rehabilitation of the park because nobody seems to be doing anything about its deplorable state.”

A passenger who gave his name as Innocent Kelechi told our correspondent that he usually avoids using the toilet facilities owing to their deplorable condition.

“This Utako park is the biggest motor park in Abuja and it is such an irony that a motor park which is located in the city center is in this type of deplorable condition.

“I am sure this was not the original plan that government has for this park when it was built some few years back and I think it is high time something is done about the bad state of this motor park.”

Another driver who gave his name as Musa said, “They don’t maintain the motor park, they are only interested in the money they generate.

“When you bring a vehicle, you are asked to pay N10,000 to register but if you are member of the union, you pay N5,000. Apart from the registering fee, each vehicle that loads in the park is asked to pay like N2,500, N3000, N5000 for each trip before leaving the park.”

But speaking on the poor state of the motor park, the Secretary General of the NURTW, Jabi Park, Adamu Abubakar told THE WHISTLER during an interview that efforts made in the past to upgrade the park have not been fruitful.

When asked if they have sought the intervention of the government to upgrade the park, he said, “Why development has not taken place for over 22 years we have been here is because we are under Abuja Municipal Area Council.

“All the revenue belongs to them, they are the owner of the park, on our own side we don’t have any option, we have cried out, met them so many times, discussed with them and still nothing happened.

“Later, they allocated the park to Ekeson Transport Company and the company managed it for eight years and nothing was done still. Then they collected the management and gave it to a private individual, the same thing nothing was done. Ever since then we have just been like this.”

He added, “The last time they came here was to raise up flag which was to commission this place and that they will start working to develop the park but up till now, nothing has been heard from them.”

Considering the state of insecurity in the country, he said that the union usually carry out due diligence to enable it have a background knowledge of drivers.

He said; “First, we check the drivers’ license which has all the bio-metric data and if there’s any issue we go through the drivers license since we have a copy with us, also the vehicle you want to register, that’s why we have VIO to inspect them.

“We check the condition of the car tyres if is okay for you to travel for weeks, and when all this are not in place, we can’t register you.”

Speaking about the necessary infrastructure like toilet, road, electricity and waste disposal system, he confirmed that they have toilet which was provided by the government, but maintained that all the revenue goes to AMAC and no proportion is for the park despite the needs of the park.

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