Akwa Ibom transport workers decry illegal motor parks

Transport workers under the aegis of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Akwa Ibom branch has expressed displeasure over the proliferation of illegal motor parks in the state.

The union alleged complacency by the state government in the proliferation of illegal motor parks across the state.

Speaking to newsmen in Uyo on Tuesday, the chairman of Itam Long Distance Park, Mr Austine Edet, said the state government had shown lack of political will to stop the activities of touts, who operate the illegal parks in the state.

Edet said the relevant government agencies, which should enforce the laws against the operations and patronage of such illegal parks, seemed to actually promote the illegality.

The union leader said that the action of the government has encouraged drivers to pick passengers along the way and so abandoned the approved government parks.

He regretted that the five major motor parks within Uyo metropolis have practically been abandoned for the illegal ones in defiance to the law against it.

Reacting to the proliferation of illegal motor parks in the state, Akwa Ibom state Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Oga Ochi, said the government frowns at the non-use of the designated parks by drivers and commuters.

Ochi said he had met with the state Assembly Committee on Works and Transport on the matter, and that they had directed the corps to work with the relevant agencies to remove illegal motor parks from the metropolis.

He said plans were already in place to restrict the loading and off loading of passengers to the five recognised parks in Uyo before the COVID-19 pandemic stopped the arrangement.

“I had the privilege of addressing the committee in the House of Assembly on the dangers of the existence of illegal parks. 

“I think the committee actually frowned at the existence of those illegal parks and had directed the FRSC to work along with other agencies of government to ensure those illegal parks are removed from the environment.

“We also have a relationship with the State Ministry of Transport. We started something with them but unfortunately COVID-19 affected some of those activities that we started with them. 

“As it is, the prevalence of COVID-19 is still an issue in the country and Akwa Ibom State, because of that, the enforcement that would have taken off has not really taken off in the state,” Ochi said.

The sector commander said the proliferation of illegal motor parks was not healthy as it posed a security challenge to the corps and other security agencies.

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