Return Of Park And Pay Policy In The FCT

It appears the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) is only fascinated with compounding the woes of Nigerians, especially car owners resident in the capital city. If not, why reintroduce the controversial park and pay policy? The administration said the policy which, it claims, seeks to bring sanity to the city, would begin in March this year.

With the controversy and widespread condemnation that greeted its introduction in 2014, we find it difficult to understand why the FCT would even contemplate reintroducing the policy.

Most residents of Abuja believe that in the face of skyrocketing food and energy prices, deplorable state of infrastructure, insecurity, high unemployment and poverty, all of which have contributed in no small measure to making life tough for many, especially middle and low-income earners, the latest move amounts to a deliberate attempt to increase their misery.

In a failed attempt to justify the vexed reintroduction, the director, Traffic Management in the FCTA, Wadata Bodinga, said owing to population increase, there is traffic obstruction and congestion that expose pedestrians to security and road hazards. The policy, Bondinga said, will mitigate traffic irregularities.

“This new park and pay policy will increase the safety and security of vehicles and pedestrians, improve aesthetics, beautify green verges, flowers and protect walkways from the motoring public. It will also reduce traffic and pollution.”

We recall that in 2014, some residents resisted the policy and decried the high-handedness of those enforcing it. In addition, there were concerns over the ownership of companies being used for ticketing and enforcement. The controversial policy was, expectedly, suspended when a court of competent jurisdiction described it as illegal and ordered its stoppage, to the relief of Abuja residents, who had borne the brunt of the extra tax and the crooked manoeuvres of park and pay officials who devised underhand measures to entrap and fleece motorists in the country’s capital.

FCTA Reintroduces ‘Park And Pay’ Policy

Although Bodinga said the FCT Administration had embarked on various measures aimed at addressing the concerns raised by the court and the public concerning the scheme, we wonder if such measures take cognizance of the fact that such a policy will translate to more hardship for the residents.

In view of the current economic realities, we urge the FCTA to, not minding the fact that the new FCT Parking Regulations made provisions for the scheme, perish the thought of reintroducing the policy. It is a truism that the law is made for man not man for the law.

Rather than concentrate on improving the deplorable state of infrastructure in the city and its satellite settlements, the administration, it seems, is more concerned about enforcing a traffic policy that, from all intent and purposes, will translate to more hardship for the residents with far-reaching negative implications.

Like most Nigerians who have condemned this planned re-introduction, we believe that coming at a time when Nigerians, especially residents of the FCT, are struggling with harsh economic realities occasioned by insecurity, bad governance and the general global economic downturn, the idea is ill-timed, ill-conceived and demonstrably in bad faith .

Perhaps the FCTA needs to know that most Nigerians viewed its action as driven largely by the burning desire to get more revenue through levies.

We are very much aware of the fact that the nation is facing a serious revenue challenge, which is made worse by huge debt servicing.

Rather than levying car owners through the park and pay policy in a bid to shore up its revenue, the FCTA should intensify efforts at recovering its multi-billion naira ground rent and other levies, and also block leakages within the system.

Only recently, the FCT threatened to reveal the identity of those owing N29 billion ground rent, most of whom are in upscale areas of Maitama and Asokoro. In our considered opinion, the administration needs to go after these recalcitrant debtors rather than overburden car owners with a controversial park and pay policy.

Assuming, without conceding, that the real reason for the reintroduction of the policy is traffic congestion, should the FCTA not adopt other practical measures like smart road design and providing alternative transportation infrastructure?

Finally, the last time such a parking tax was placed on the capital city residents, there was nothing much in the way of infrastructural development in the FCT to show for the money made from the exercise.