Residents kick as FCTA moves to re-introduce ‘park and pay’

Many residents of the Federal Capital Territory have pleaded with the FCT minister to immediately stop the plan for the re-introduction of the pay and park policy in the nation’s capital.

City & Crime reports that the FCT Administration was earlier forced by a court order to stop the policy, which motorists described as anti-people.

It was resisted in 2014 by some residents, who decried the high-handedness of operatives and also queried the ownership of companies being used for ticketing and enforcement.

The latest motorists’ outburst is coming after the administration said the reworked park-and-pay policy would come into effect in the first quarter of 2023.

The Director, Traffic Management, FCT Transportation Secretariat, Wadata Bodinga, who announced this yesterday in Abuja, said the on-street parking policy was to bring sanity to the city.

He explained that the population of the residents leads to heavy usage competition, which brings about traffic obstruction and congestion that exposed pedestrians to security and road hazards.

Bodinga said the re-planned scheme by the administration will mitigate traffic irregularities being experienced by motorists.

“This new park-and-pay policy will increase the safety and security of vehicles and pedestrians, improve aesthetics, beautifying green verges, flowers and protecting of walkways from the motoring public. It will also reduce traffic and pollution,” Bodinga stated.

According to him, the first phase of the exercise, which would be human-friendly, will commence in Maitama and Wuse areas of the Federal Capital City (FCC).

Bodinga said: “There were issues involved during the commencement of the on-street parking that brought about its suspension.

“FCT Administration had embarked on various measures aimed at addressing the concerns raised by the court and the public with regards to the scheme.

“The administration, in collaboration with its legal team, produced FCT Parking Regulations 2019 to amend the parking section of 2005 FCT Road Transport Regulations,” he said.

He was not however clear on the involvement of private operators in running the system, but assured that they would cover the whole designated places.

But a cross-section of the FCT residents, who spoke with City & Crime yesterday on the planned re-introduction of the policy, kicked against it and warned the administration not to bring another policy that would further worsen their sufferings.

Mr John Audu, said no amount of explanation on the policy would be welcomed.

Esther Madaki, a civil servant pleaded with the FCT minister to stop implementation of the plan immediately, saying the policy would further add to the suffering of the residents.

(Daily Trust)