NURTW appeals to Lagos over plans to relocate motor parks

The National Union of Road Transport Workers on Wednesday appealed to the Lagos State Government to carry its leadership along in its proposed plan to relocate some motor parks from their present sites elsewhere.
Tajudeen Agbede who is the chairman, Lagos State chapter of the union, made the appeal while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.
Agbede said that the union had written several letters in the past to the state Commissioner for Transportation, Olanrewaju Elegushi, on the need for both to synergise on the matter.
He said that the union told the government that it was imperative for the state government to always carry the union’s officials along in its policy formulation and implementation for the convenience of commuters in the state.
He said: “We wrote the government that before relocating and diverting our members activities from one park to another, the government should dialogue with us on the possible alternative location being proposed as motor parks.
“Such dialogue will afford us the opportunity such locations to ascertain whether they are suitable for our members and their intending passengers during the road constructions.’’
Agbaje lauded the state government for carrying along the union when it wanted to reconstruct Mosafejo-Oshodi and Yaba areas of the state.
He said: “Our members have been operating well in areas allocated to them as motor parks without complaints from them there.’’
He said that his members were law abiding citizens and were also working with the state government to make Lagos a mega city.
The NURTW chairman appealed to intending passengers to patronise the alternative parks provided by the government rather than patronising illegal and road-side parks for their safety and security.
Agbede said: “When you patronise designated parks, the advantage outweighs the disadvantage.”
He also advised passengers to always fill the manifest correctly before embarking on any journey.
Some of the drivers who spoke to NAN under the condition of anonymity appreciated their union officials’ efforts by always fighting for their interests.
A driver stated: “Gone were the days when commercial transport operators were treated like nobody but with this regime our welfare is paramount.”
Some passengers told NAN that the relocation of the parks to Mosafejo was adversely affecting them as they had to pay extra fares to get there.
Taiwo Adewunmi said that she had to pay extra N150 from Mushin to Mosafejo to board a bus to Abeokuta.
Adewunmi said: “This is an additional expense on me. In the past l would have boarded a commercial bus to Abeokuta from Mushin and paid the same fare.”
Another intending passenger, Emmanuel Shokunbi, said it was not easy getting access to bus parks except one make inquiries.
The passengers appealed to the government to hasten the contractors working on the motor parks for them to complete them on time.
NAN reports that the state government relocated four parks to Mosafejo, Mushin, Odi-Olowo and Oshodi from their former locations.