Drivers Lament Traders’ Take Over Of Motorpark

Drivers at the Nkpolu, Mile
three Motor  park  in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, have raised alarm over the sudden take  over of the Mile Three Motor park by market women and local traders in recent time.
They have also expressed concern over the hardship they face in their daily transport business operation as a result of the huge presence and influx of traders at the motor park.
Some of the drivers, who spoke to The Tide, expressed worry over how the places marked out for the loading and off-loading of passengers had been taken over by the market women. According to one of the drivers, Mr Samuel Ordu, the Mile Three Motor Park has now become a centre for clearing commodities from the rural communities, rather than the designated motor park.
He said that portions of the park where they park their vehicles, load and off-load passengers, had been given out to the local traders on lease, thereby obstructing drivers’ transport business.
On his part, one Chukwudi Owhondah explained that some of the drivers no longer have space to park their vehicles, adding that many commuters no longer find it easy to board vehicles at the park, but would like to patronize drivers that laod outside the park.
Apart from the space, he explained that the use of the park for sake of Local commodities, particularly farm produce, had resulted to the degeneration of the sanitation of the motor park.
Also reacting to the matter, Mr Ibe Igwe said the situation had caused some drivers to shun the motor park, stressing that a lot of  revenue from the drivers have been lost.
He, therefore, appealed to the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) leadership at the park to do something fast to ensure that the trend was reversed.
He, however, explained that everything that has to do with trading activities is within the purview of the motor park management of the Port Harcourt City Council.

Corlins Walter