FCTA reintroduces paid parking scheme nine years after court ban

Nine years after a court ban, the on-street park and pay scheme, which attracted much criticism, has been reintroduced by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

The administration told journalists at a press conference in Abuja, yesterday, that the reintroduction is aimed at curbing parking hazards caused by growing numbers of vehicles in the FCT.

Director of Transportation, Wadata Bodinga, explained that a provision has now been inserted in the FCTA transport regulations to provide for the scheme.

The FCTA had, in April 2014, suspended the initiative in deference to the judgment of a FCT High Court, which declared the scheme illegal.

The initiative had been conceived and launched by the FCT administration for the purpose of effective traffic management and control in the nation’s capital.

The court had, in a suit brought by an Abuja-based private savings and loan firm, declared the policy illegal.

Bodinga explained that following rapid population growth in Abuja, and consequential traffic congestion, resuscitating the policy is necessary.

He said the nation’s capital is faced with many traffic irregularities, which pose grave danger to residents.

He said: “Reintroduction of the on-street parking scheme by the administration will mitigate these challenges to the barest.

“While the on-street parking scheme might seem overbearing for some users, it impacts positively by improving customer experience and promoting efficient parking management.”