‘Consider Parking Space, Walk-Ways In Road Construction’

Road Construction
Companies have been told to always consider parking space and walk-ways in their road construction designs.
This is because lack of parking space on major roads had been a source of worry for motorists, as they fall victims to the police, the Rivers State Road Traffic Management Agency (TIMARIV) and other road management authorities, including hoodlums who claim to be agents to government and motor unions in Port Harcourt and its environs.
A cross-section of motorists who barred their minds in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt on Monday said most roads in Port Harcourt and its environs have no parking space, and that when ever they park by the side of the road, they were being molested, harassed and embarrassed by those bodies.
According to them, the worst of it all had been that the bus stops built by the Rivers State Government have now been taken over by hoodlums as they extort money from any driver who stops  there to pick passengers.
They are appealing to the government and the various road construction companies including the traffic law enforcement agencies to urgently look into this critical area in their contractual agreements and to stop these touts from their nefarious unlawful business.
Mrs Beatrice Inuwa, a motorist who barred her mind said it is worthwhile to provide such a space to avoid road accidents and traffic jam, and appealed to the authorities to always put it as part of their construction plans.
Another motorist, Chief Precious Wokoma in his view said such spaces should be provided at both express and internal roads in order to maintain law and order on the roads. In his own view, Bro Patrick Daboh noted that road construction companies are supposed to provide such facilities for motorists, and frowned that they have been victims to law enforcement agents and others as they extort various sums of money from any perceived offenders.
Barikara Swanu, a commercial bus driver was of the opinion that lack of parking space on most roads had been the cause of road blocks in the state, and also appealed to the authorities to urgently look into it, to avoid further embarrassment and harassment from uniformed men and touts operating under different guises and extorting money from innocent citizens.

Collins Barasimeye