The Senate on Thursday mandated the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), the Vehicle Inspection Office, (VIO) the Federal Road Safety Commission ( FRSC) to take urgent steps to remove illegal motor parks and pick up points within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Senate also urged the joint task force to always enforce the penalty for the creation of illegal garages within the nation’s capital city.
The Red Chamber resolution was on the heels of a motion sponsored by Senator representing Nasarawa West, Ahmed Wadada and co-sponsored by Senator representing the FCT, Ireti Kingibe.
Senator Wadada who expressed concern over the influx to Abuja which has put pressure on existing public facilities submitted that the National Assembly was constitutionally empowered to legislate for the FCT.
“People have come from all walks of life to seek greener pastures.
“Even though the Abuja master plan has designated motor parks and garages for pick ups and drop off of passengers, transporters in the FCT have formed the terrible habit of picking up and dropping off passengers indiscriminately.
“They also park at non-designated parking zones on the highway thereby causing unnecessary traffic and congestion and also accidents on the highway.”
While he asked the Red Chamber to take proactive measures to checkmate illegal parks, the lawmaker warned that if illegal pick up and drop offs at non-designated parking zones were not controlled or eliminated, it may in addition to causing accidents become a serious security threat and concern in the FCT.”
Co-sponsors of the bill, Senator Kingibe said that the FCT being the capital of the nation and seat of government was compelling to restore sanity in Abuja.
“There are provisions for parks in the master plan and those things should be immediately restored.”
In his contribution, Senator representing Abia south, Eyinnaya Abaribe told his colleagues that the Senate was constitutionally empowered to legislate for the FCT and should live up to its statutory responsibility.
“And rather than make a motion, our job actually is to make bye laws for the FCT and therefore, it behooves all of us and the movers of this motion in addition, to also come up with the bye laws of the FCT which we will pass on this floor.”
Senator Isa Jibril who spoke in a similar vein said appropriate sanctions be implemented on erring drivers to serve as deterrence.
“I believe that the illegal motor parks should be scrapped immediately and any of the motorists that do not go with the rules of parking, there should be appropriate sanctions that would serve as deterrence to airing motorists”.
Deputy Senate President, Barau Jubrin who presided over Thursday plenary expressed disaffection over menace to road users by the illegal parks.
“It’s an eyesore what we see every day in Abuja where everywhere has been turned to garage not befitting our capital city, which is the number one symbol of this country.
“It is the pride of all of us; a wonderfully crafted city but being messed up the sites we see everyday along roads.
“The FCT committee, when constituted, should be able to do its oversight functions properly.
“They should put pressure on the FCT administration to do what they are supposed to do by making sure we have a befitting city that we can all be proud of.”
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