Any time from now, Abia State Government would embark on the closure of illegal motor parks across the state.

The government has, therefore, directed transporters operating in the illegal motor parks to close them down and move into government approved loading bays.

Commissioner for Transport, Barr, (Mrs.) Nnenna Obewu-Onwuka, who gave the directive in an interview with News Express in Umuahia, said that mobile courts and law enforcement agencies have been mobilised for the exercise.

She said unapproved loading bays created by transporters were not only causing obstruction along major roads but constituted environmental hazards and were depriving government of revenue.

The Commissioner vowed that this time around, the exercise would be pursued to its logical conclusion, adding that any resistance would be visited with appropriate sanctions as provided by the law as government was determined to bring sanity to the transport sector.

She named areas dotted by illegal loading bays to include Isi Gate and Umuwaya Road in Umuahia, Osisioma junction, Asa Road, Port Harcourt Road, and Milverton Avenue in Aba as well as Akara Junction in Isuikwuato and Ohafia.

Mrs. Obewu-Onwuka decried a situation where transporters have created illegal motor parks and abandoned government approved parks, adding that committees have been put in place to monitor compliance of the transporters’ movement into approved motor parks.

“If you look around Abia, everywhere is loading bay. Roads are loading bay, transporters are leaving government approved parks to form their own illegal loading bays along the road, causing obstruction, constituting nuisance everywhere.

“We have discussed severally for them to move into government approved parks. But you see, some people when you don’t apply minimal force, they would not listen.

“Any moment from now, we are going to push them into the parks to create sanity. If Upper Iweka in Anambra State will be as it is today, any other place could still be good or even better. We now decided that this is the time to say that they should move into the parks,” she said.

“We are putting everything on ground. We have our mobile courts; we have discussed with the security agencies. When they move into approved parks, government will get its share of the revenue and the environment will be orderly,” she said.

The Commissioner said her ministry has rebranded touts in the state and has renamed them Transport Servicemen (TSM) to change their outlook and dignity.

She said that her ministry was working harmoniously with the four motor unions operating in the state, adding that efforts were on to bring tricycle operators in Umuahia under one union as was done in Aba.

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