WITH JOKE ADENIYI-JACKSON
Driving his kids to their school situated in Offa Garage road, Ilorin, Kwara State from Monday to Friday, has become nightmarish for a family friend. This is not unconnected with the traffic gridlock on that route during rush hours. Unfortunately, the problem is consequent upon the existence of illegal Motor Park in the area. The commercial vehicles are seen lined up on a side of the road, thus obstructing the free flow of traffic. Even pedestrians struggle with vehicles to move and there is the fear of being down by cars.
Aside Offa Garage area, there are several other illegal parks in Ilorin, such can be found in the Sawmill, Post Office, Maraba and Eyenkorin among others, where residents go when they need to travel in and out of the state. Intra and inter-state transporters have turned road sides within the metropolis to makeshift motor parks. Interestingly most of these parks are situated close to regular parks. Ironically, the number of vehicles on the roadside outnumbers those found inside the park. The illegal motor parks seem indispensable as they attract many commuters on daily basis especially those travelling out of the state capital on low budget. These illegal most parks provides much cheaper means of transportation in comparison with that of privately owned parks which is on the high side and the regular motor parks with regulated price. This no doubt explains why most people prefer the use of unofficial parks.
Though illegal motor parks are becoming an inevitable choice for most travellers in search of cheaper means of transportation, it is but a risky adventure. The reason is not farfetched as it is known fact that commercial vehicles operating in the regular parks are duly registered by the Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) or sister unions. So, in the case of illegal motor parks the motorists are not registered by a proper supervisory body. Similarly, commuters are duly captured in a manifest which reflects names, addresses and next of kin of each passenger in the vehicle, at official Motor Park, which is not obtainable at irregular parks. Consequently, those who engage services of any unregistered motorist, does so at their risk. One could therefore imagine what would happen in the case of accidents. Stories abound of passenger who got missing enroute their destination because they boarded vehicles at unofficial motor parks. Likewise some passengers have ended up in kidnappers’ den or killed for ritual purposes as the drivers turned out to be criminals.
Needless to say that information contained in manifests pertaining to the passenger could be used for security purposes and to some extent guarantee safety of commuters. Such records could be used by security operatives to nab criminals posing as commercial drivers.
Therefore the springing up of roadside motor parks by the day, should be a source of concern to government and other stakeholders given the demerits particularly the danger to lives and as such, must be fully addressed. It is high time these illegal motor parks were eliminated. As earlier observed the attendant chaos resulting from the presence of many of these unofficial transporters adds to the traffic snarl. Most of the vehicles are wrongly parked on the road as the operators beckon to commuters. Activities of these illegal motor parks are contributing to the traffic gridlock across the state.
The transporters’ unions particularly the NURTW has a great role to play in ensuring sanity on our roads. The situation can be arrested if the union put in place a task force for the purpose. The union through the task force can arrest operators of these illegal parks across the state.
On its part, the state government must effect ban unofficial motor parks in the state. It would be recalled that the Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Ali Ahmad had vowed that the 8th Assembly would do everything possible to rid the state of illegal motor parks and garages. He made the pledge in his remarks while addressing members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) led by its National President, Alhaji Najim Yasin on a courtesy visit to his office recently. To achieve this, Ahmad explained that the legislature would soon find means to amend the existing State Laws prohibiting illegal motor parks and garages. But, that promise is yet to see the light of day. As observed most of the regular motor parks are as lowly and uncoordinated, it behooves the state government to upgrade these facilities and make them conducive for business. Approval too should be given to more private motor parks as a way of curbing activities of illegal motor parks in the state.
