Commercial Motorists Still Pick, Drop Passengers At Unauthorize Spots in Benin
Benin City- Despite moves by Edo State Government to check indiscriminate parking, picking and dropping of passengers in some designated areas especially Oba Ovoramwen square (Ring Road) in Benin city, commercial motorists have continued in their old ways in these areas.
The State government had set up 'Operation Clean Up Edo', to decongest the ever busy City centre and environ, followed by Public Works Volunteers (PUWOV), an agency with the mandate to carry out the task against street trading and packing in unauthorized places within the metropolis.
But the presence of PUWOV and that of its sister agency, the State's traffic control and management officials (EDSTMA) stationed at these locations have done little to stop the drivers from picking and dropping passengers while their vehicles are on motion.
But the practice which no doubt endangers the lives of occupants in these vehicles is nothing to worry about according to a commuter who lamented long distance trekking from her place of business to a temporary motor park along Ibiwe street.
"I do not care about the attitude of these drivers because I can not walk far under this scotching sun to my shop, it is risky though", the Commuter said.
The State Government had directed commercial buses and taxis to pick and drop their passengers at specific locations which are streets and lanes connecting major roads across the State capital.
In defiant, some of these drivers take the risk to operate in the unauthorized areas, despite knowing the penalties involve.
They complain that the designed locations apparently can not accommodate the increasing numbers of commercial vehicles plying Edo roads as excuse.
"The park no go contain all of our bus and taxi that is why you see some of us still dey hustle passengers for road, even when PUWOV people dey pursue us, and the park wen Obaseki say e wan build for us, we never see am", a Taxi driver waiting on a queue for passengers said.
However, the offending drivers when apprehended, are charged to mobile courts set up by the Government for that purpose. Those found guilty are punished with prison sentence ( sometimes with an option of fine), while their vehicles are impounded.
Though it is on record that in a bid to end the menace posed by the activities of commercial motorists in Benin, the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki had promised to build a central bus terminal, during an inspection visit to the City centre in May 2017.
“We are trying to decongest Ring Road and Oba market to open up the bottle neck because the City centre has become choked with people selling by the roadside and transporters picking passengers by the road side.
"One of the challenges facing traffic is that we do not have a central terminal, but we have identified government properties where we can build central bus terminal,” Gov Obaseki said.
Contrarily, close to two years, the Government is yet to lay a foundation for the public utility as the proposed area for the bus terminal only have the project's sign post.
Meanwhile, the Oba Akenzua Cultural centre which hitherto serve as a "temporary motor pack" has been repossessed by the owners, sending some of the commercial drivers using the centre back to the streets, lanes, and sometimes major roads to pack, pick and drop their passengers.
However, commentators as they express worry for Government delay in bringing total sanity in the sector have suggested that whenever a permanent motor park is built, the Government should endeavour to construct Bus -Stops along major roads for passengers waiting to board or alight from commercial vehicles as obtained in other states in Nigeria.
The State government had set up 'Operation Clean Up Edo', to decongest the ever busy City centre and environ, followed by Public Works Volunteers (PUWOV), an agency with the mandate to carry out the task against street trading and packing in unauthorized places within the metropolis.
But the presence of PUWOV and that of its sister agency, the State's traffic control and management officials (EDSTMA) stationed at these locations have done little to stop the drivers from picking and dropping passengers while their vehicles are on motion.
But the practice which no doubt endangers the lives of occupants in these vehicles is nothing to worry about according to a commuter who lamented long distance trekking from her place of business to a temporary motor park along Ibiwe street.
"I do not care about the attitude of these drivers because I can not walk far under this scotching sun to my shop, it is risky though", the Commuter said.
The State Government had directed commercial buses and taxis to pick and drop their passengers at specific locations which are streets and lanes connecting major roads across the State capital.
In defiant, some of these drivers take the risk to operate in the unauthorized areas, despite knowing the penalties involve.
They complain that the designed locations apparently can not accommodate the increasing numbers of commercial vehicles plying Edo roads as excuse.
"The park no go contain all of our bus and taxi that is why you see some of us still dey hustle passengers for road, even when PUWOV people dey pursue us, and the park wen Obaseki say e wan build for us, we never see am", a Taxi driver waiting on a queue for passengers said.
However, the offending drivers when apprehended, are charged to mobile courts set up by the Government for that purpose. Those found guilty are punished with prison sentence ( sometimes with an option of fine), while their vehicles are impounded.
Though it is on record that in a bid to end the menace posed by the activities of commercial motorists in Benin, the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki had promised to build a central bus terminal, during an inspection visit to the City centre in May 2017.
“We are trying to decongest Ring Road and Oba market to open up the bottle neck because the City centre has become choked with people selling by the roadside and transporters picking passengers by the road side.
"One of the challenges facing traffic is that we do not have a central terminal, but we have identified government properties where we can build central bus terminal,” Gov Obaseki said.
Contrarily, close to two years, the Government is yet to lay a foundation for the public utility as the proposed area for the bus terminal only have the project's sign post.
Meanwhile, the Oba Akenzua Cultural centre which hitherto serve as a "temporary motor pack" has been repossessed by the owners, sending some of the commercial drivers using the centre back to the streets, lanes, and sometimes major roads to pack, pick and drop their passengers.
However, commentators as they express worry for Government delay in bringing total sanity in the sector have suggested that whenever a permanent motor park is built, the Government should endeavour to construct Bus -Stops along major roads for passengers waiting to board or alight from commercial vehicles as obtained in other states in Nigeria.
Comments