The Administration says it has backed the scheme up with adequate laws to guarantee its success.
It would be recalled that the On- Street Parking Management was suspended on April 14, 2014 as a result of of an FCT High Court ruling that declared the operation illegal because it was not specifically mentioned in the 2005 FCT Road Transport Regulation.
Speaking on behalf of the administration, the Acting Secretary, Transport Secretariat, Malam Usman Musa Yahaya noted that the new on street parking operations have been giving specific rules of engagement and the operators have been advised to train their staff according to international standards best practices.
Justice Peter Affen in his judgement commended the park and pay scheme which was introduced for the purpose of effective traffic management as laudable but ruled that the scheme was unknown to the FCT laws. He blamed the FCT authorities for not backing the scheme with adequate law before he suspended the scheme in 2014
The stakeholders engagement therefore seeks to get the input of trade unions, professional organisations and residents of FCT on ways the policy can further be enhanced for optimum service delivery.
The stakeholders in their input therefore sought to know what incentives the FCTA will offer with the reintroduction of the policy.
Among other stakeholders in attendance include representatives of National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ Actors Guild of Nigeria AGN, and several others.
The representative of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ and the FCT chairman of the union, Mr. Emmanuel Ogbeche applauded the Administration for the efforts of reintroducing the 'park n pay' policy which he said will address unemployment, increase GDP among others.
While expressing optimism that most of the infractions that characterised the policy earlier will be addressed, Mr. Ogbeche said the union will support any policy that will reduce traffic congestion in the city.
He therefore called for incentives such as more traffic lights, street lighting and more that will benefit a vast majority of residents while maintaining sanity on the roads.
One of the concetionaires who spoke on behalf of the operators, MD/ CEO of ATB NIG Ltd Dr Sulaiman Adejoh assured FCTA and residents that the new operation will follow all the guidlines of the transportation secretariat and plead with all the security agencies in FCT to see the parking Marshall's as agent of the FCTA and assist them in providing decent parking. Stating that all issues that led to the earlier suspension have been addressed and motorists will enjoy smooth driving once again. The new scheme will discourage Indiscriminate parking in the FCT
Hot lines will be provided to FCT residents where cases of abuse by operators will be reported too.
A vote of thanks was given by the acting director of traffic management which brought the promising meeting to an end.
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