The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has reinstated the park and pay policy in the nation’s capital, Abuja, following an agreement signed with two concessionaires, News About Nigeria reports.
On Saturday, Olusade Adesola, the FCTA permanent secretary, signed the agreement, stating that the move aims to promote orderliness and organization in vehicle parking in Abuja, leading to a less congested city and a more pleasant motoring experience.
The park and pay policy had been suspended in April 2014 due to a high court judgement that prevented the FCTA from collecting fees for on-and-off the street parking from residents within the metropolis, as it lacked legal backing.
Now, with the reintroduction, the FCTA has implemented regulations and secured the approval of the federal executive council (FEC) to ensure a smooth implementation of the scheme.
Under the scheme, vehicle owners will have access to parking lots for a fee, while motorists who engage in improper parking will be subject to fines. The revenue generated from both correct and incorrect parking charges will be shared between the administration and the six area councils.
Adesola clarified that while the agreement is signed on the present day, the actual implementation of the park and pay policy will begin at a later date. The citizens will be adequately informed through various communication channels, including robust stakeholder engagement, visits to key institutions by operators, and awareness campaigns through electronic and print media. Additionally, there will be a period of free parking to familiarize people with the facility.
He said, “The communication that should precede the implementation of the project is that the citizens need to know that we are signing on-street parking.
“A lot of activities will follow. There will be robust stakeholders’ engagement; the operators will visit key institutions and will engage residents through electronic and print media.
“This is to ensure that people are sensitised and above all, to be aware that there will be a period of free parking, just for people to know how to use the facility.”
The scheme will be executed in two zones in the FCT, with NAJEC Limited covering Zone A (Wuse II and Utako) and Automaten Technik Bauman Nig. Ltd (ATB) taking charge of Zone B (Maitama and Garki). NAJEC Limited is expected to generate revenue of N11.875 billion over ten years, while ATB expects revenue of N15.05 billion over the same period.
The concessionaires have already marked the areas allocated to them in preparation for the enforcement of the scheme.
It is worth noting that the park and pay policy revival received approval from the federal executive council during the end of former president Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in May.
