FCTA To Re-Introduce "Park And Pay System"

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) says it has concluded arrangement to reintroduce a modified ''Park and Pay System'' that will ensure sanity amongst motorists in the FCT.

Mr Ifenayi Ughamadu, the Head, Public Relations, Department of the Transport Secretariat, FCTA, told the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday that motorists would, under  the new arrangement, enjoyed adequate protection.

``We had our park and pay system before and the court suspended our park and pay.

``So we have done the needed legal work, submitted to the appropriate quarters .

``Very soon, our park and pay system will come up once the legal framework is finished.

`` The programme was supposed to will transform the transportation sector in the FCT but was badly managed.

`` So, we are coming up with a law that will protect the motorists, the operators and bring sanity to vehicular parking in the city.

``When the park and pay will come back again, we are going to have a different, wonderful park and pay operation.

``All those mistakes, complaints from the pedestrians were taken care of in the new law that will back the reintroduction  of the park and pay system  in the FCT.’

NAN recalls that on April 14, an FCT High Court in Apo, Abuja, declared the`` park and pay system" illegal as there was no enabling law backing the system and it was subsequently stopped.

 On the ban on motorcycles and tricycles, also known as ``Okada’’ and ``Keke NAPEP ‘’ within the city centre, Ughamadu said that the new law would also strengthen the ban.

He described ``okada” and ``keke” activities as a menace in the FCT, saying that frequent seizure of the vehicles has not deterred the operators.

Ughamadu explained that there was outright ban on ''okada and keke'' only within the central business district  and environs.

`` If you go out you will see the number of motorcycles being carried in pickup vans and taken to VIO office.

``But despite all the harsh treatment given to them, the operators are still adamant.

``But  commercial motorcyclists operate in certain areas of Abuja, particularly in the suburbs, so we don’t know why they cannot restrict their operations.

``Just like the way we ban commercial motorcycling in the city is the way we ban  operations of keke NAPEP. 

``Keke NAPEP is not supposed to operate in the city, the operators  are only allowed to do business in the  satellite towns, suburbs and outskirts and within large estates.

`` We would not relent, we would continue to do our work until the city is cleared of this illegality.’’