The Menace Of Illegal Motor Parks In PH

One of the main purposes for the construction of motor parks by various governments in modern times is to give room for orderliness and accountability in the transport business through a tripartite arrangement between transporters and the government on one hand, and between transporters and the public, on the other.

For example, in Port Harcourt metropolis, the Rivers State government has the popular Nkpolu Oroworukwo Motor Park also known as Mile Three Motor Park and the Abali Model Park otherwise known as Mile One Motor Park located between Sangana Street and Aba-Port Harcourt expressway.

At the early existence of these two motor parks, all vehicles plying within and outside the state had spaces allocated to them within the confines of the motor parks. This arrangement at that time brought sanity within the motor parks, and as well, generated a lot of revenue to both the Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the state government.

Besides the economic importance of motor parks, they provided a land-safety measure for passengers especially those who travel outside the state. Goods lost in transit can easily be traced and recovered under a properly organised transportation system, while vehicles involved in an accident can easily be traced to their point of departure with the help of passenger manifest. These benefits are not available under an illegal motor parks arrangement.

Today, the status quo has changed. Transporters have now shunned the motor parks, and have given way to touting.

Despite public resentment and government’s efforts to check the menace of illegal motor parks, the trend has continued unabated. This situation, no doubt arouses curiosity in the minds of many people.

But who are the backers of these illegal motor parks? What makes these illegal parks survive even in the face of resistance from some union leaders? These are some questions that beg for some answers.

A taxi driver, Blessing Chikerie who operates along the Aba Road axis said loading at approved motor parks was not only time wasting, but union officials also took too much from them and were too officious and that he preferred giving N20.00 to touts to giving N50.00 to union officials.

“My brother, these union people use to feel too big. Sometimes, for a very little matter, they will even slap you, but these touts (agberos) respect us because they know we are the owners of the vehicle and anything we give them, they take,” he explained.

Reminded that the union pays tax to the government and that it was wrong to pay to touts, Chikera said that the touts too pay to the Police and that he did not see anything wrong with it.

The Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Abali Park Unit, Mr Bethel Dappa said the operation of illegal motor parks has drastically affected the smooth operation of government approved ones.

“The illegal motor parks are all over the state and that makes the government approved ones not to function.

“Even though, TIMARIV has said they will close them, they are not doing what they said. Those illegal motor parks are still there,” he said.

According to Dappa, the incidence of illegal motor parks has given rise to touting which, according to him, has the full support of the Police around its area of operation.

The union boss noted that in almost all the bus stops and illegal motor parks, “Police constables only hang around on the pretext of being on duty, but actually they are there to collect returns from touts after receiving from commercial bus drivers.

“Some of the touts are friends to the Police, that is why the Police are giving them backing. In most of these places, you will see one Police hanging there.”

The NURTW chairman believes that if government clamps down on illegal motor parks, the government approved ones will thrive. He therefore called on the Rivers State government to close all the illegal motor parks in Port Harcourt, and also make a law that would render touting and illegal motor parks a criminal offence.

“I am calling on the Commissioner  for Transport, Mr. George Tolofari to close all the illegal motor parks because once you close illegal motor parks, the government owned parks are going to thrive,” he said.

Describing the state of Mile Three Motor Park as pathetic for being under utilized, Dappa said “the “Mile Three Motor Park is too big. It is supposed to accommodate transport vehicles from Bayelsa, Abua, Omoku, Ahoada and even beyond, but I can tell you that for now, it is empty.

Corroborating Dappa’s views, the NURTW Deputy Chairman of Nkpolu Oroworukwo Motor Park, Chief Humphrey Emeto says the Mile Three Motor Park has the capacity for five thousand vehicles but presently, it plays host to less than five hundred vehicles.

The Tide investigation shows that the Mile Three Motor Parks which was once playing host to vehicles operating various routes like Enugu, Onitsha, Warri, Benin, Owerri, Bayelsa, Omoku among others, is now looking like a desert. Only vehicles operating within the state and surburbs of Port Harcourt like Iwofe, Choba, Emohua and Ndele make use of the park. There is nothing like inter-state patronage of the park anymore.

All the transporters that operate inter-state system like Warri, Enugu, Onitsha, Owerri, Benin and all those major cities are said to have moved to illegal motor parks just to avoid payment to government agency.

“Government is losing a lot, but they don’t care. If the government can help push all these vehicles which ply other states into the Mile Three Park, the much needed revenue will come and it will also check touting and reduce traffic jam which is a major feature of illegal motor parks,” says Chief Emeto.

Emeto explained that previous attempts by the NURTW to check touting within the Mile Three Motor Park was met with stiff resistance “from the above.”

“When I wanted to make the transporters patronize the Mile Three Park, I received a challenge. I was arrested and detained for twelve days. I did not know that an authority that is more than the National Union was involved, but I thought I was doing this for the good of the state.

“Since then, I have always been wary of matters concerning illegal motor parks because of some powerful forces outside the union,” Ometo told The Tide.

“We have called on the Police, government and other authorities to help us all to no avail,” he stated.

The NURTW boss believes that the Police are in connivance with these touts and illegal transporters. “Otherwise, all efforts made to make them comply with the NURTW rules would have been obeyed,” he said.

When The Tide correspondent visited the Police station along Sangana Street for comments, he was referred to the old GRA Police Station.

At the old GRA Police Station, efforts to speak with the District Police Officer (DPO) proved abortive as he was said to be unavailable.

However, a Police inspector who pleaded anonymity acknowledged the fact that touts operate under the full glare of the Police, but could not say where these touts derive their strength from.

According to him, everyone seems to be turning a blind eye including top ranking officers.