The Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), has announced the commencement of Park and Pay policy, saying it has many advantages, including guarding against car theft.
Addressing newsmen Friday at AMAC headquarters, the Executive Chairman of AMAC, Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, who was represented by the Supervisory Councilor for Special Duties, Mr Emmanuel Inyang, said that the council targets revenue generation with human face.
He said that motorists will pay N100 per hour in designated areas, including Asokoro, Maitama, Federal Secretariat and other areas within the City Center that is under Wuse and Garki.
He said: “After our last engagement with the media, we decided to address the press again today to abreast them on development between the Abuja Municipal Area Council and the FCT IRS. We are pleased to announce that the FCT IRS has retracted their statement and action regarding revenue generation in AMAC. The FCT IRS has served AMAC and all the organizations they hitherto served demand notices.
“FCT IRS apologized to the council over the demand notices to different organizations within AMAC, saying it was an error. We have accepted the apology, hence this engagement with the media to update them on developments since the last media briefing.
“If you can recall, in 2014, there was an issue that prompted a private individual to approach the FCT High court through his lawyer, E. F. Okwubanego, regarding Park and Pay policy and the court gave judgment through the Presiding Judge, Peter O. Affen.
“The private citizen had asked the court in paragraphs 2, 3, and 5 whether the Park and Pay scheme of the. Defendant (FCTA) is pursuant to an Act of the National Assembly as provided by the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and whether the Defendant can exercise the powers to collect tax, fee or rate for parking and also prescribe fee for failure to pay for the parking within the streets and roads of the FCT without an Act of the National Assembly prescribing for such.
“The Presiding Judge, Peter O. Affen, said that the defendants may exercise powers or discharge functions conferred on them by extant Acts of the National Assembly insofar as such Acts are not inconsistent with the provisions of the 1999 constitution.
“He said that where an Act of the National Assembly, such as the Road Traffic Act, expressly authorises a local authority, including the 1st and 2nd defendants, to make a bye-law inter alia specifying parking places and fixing fees or rates payable as well as imposing penalty, therefore, the defendants can validly do so.
“Since the judgment was made, there has been no appeal or another judgment to question the judgment passed by the court in favor of AMAC.”
Furthermore, he said: “Therefore, this is to announce to the general public that the Park and Pay policy has started today being September 1, 2023. We informed all critical stakeholders, including security agencies and the FCT Minister, who is our coordinating minister. We did this to publicize the resumption to stakeholders, including security agencies. Therefore, it is not only in the media.
“From ab initio, we knew that the Park and Pay policy was under AMAC. Even when a private citizen went to court, we had to wait to know the outcome. However, there has not been any other judgment or appeal since the first judgment was given. Therefore, after putting modalities in place, we decided to resume the Park and Pay policy.
“Residents should be patient with us as we implement the Park and Pay policy. It is for our internally generated revenue, which we will use in providing basic amenities to AMAC residents, including roads, electricity, potable water, basic education, healthcare, among others. We have been providing the above to AMAC residents and we will do more as our revenue improves.
“The Park and Pay policy will take place in the City Center including areas within Wuse and Garki. The areas have Maitama, Asokoro, among others. The payment is N100 per hour. The charge is moderate and with a human face.
This is because some people come to park their cars and stay long hours in a particular area. Therefore, the policy will restore sanity in the city center.
“Anyone who parks will be given a ticket, which will read the time. Anyone who defaults will have his or her vehicle impounded. Our taskforce and mobile courts will be there to ensure we don’t take laws into our hands. From time immemorial, we have been law abiding citizens at AMAC and will definitely continue to implement the policy with a human face.
“The Park and Pay policy has many advantages for AMAC and FCT residents. For one, the charge for parking will reduce congestion of cars as some will think twice before parking for a long time when they don’t have any business to attend to. Therefore, it will guard against people coming to park their vehicles and going home to sleep. If you can recall, people pay money to park vehicles at the airport when they want to travel. Also, there was a time you paid at Transcorp hotel. You would be charged if you stayed a longer time than necessary.”
He added: “This is also to alert residents that we have places where defaulting vehicles will be kept. Everything in the vehicle will be safe until the fine is paid. There will be no question of claiming that one item or the other is missing in the vehicle. We will be extra careful in this aspect to ensure safety of cars in our possession.
“Also, as you are aware, corporate parking exists in different organizations for workers who work longer hours and need to park their cars in front of offices lacking parking spaces. So, we have made provisions for organizations to pay us annually for parking spaces. As I said, we are approaching this with human face, so we will negotiate with organizations.
“For the benefit of hindsight, no one will be allowed to park in green areas or walkways to inconvenience others. We won’t tolerate that. We will impound vehicles that were wrongly parked or that were parked to inconvenience other road users.
“As I pointed out earlier, the Park and Pay policy has many advantages. Apart from decongesting parks, it will also help us to reduce car theft in the city center, which is frequent. Once you park your vehicle, your will be given a ticket and a tag bearing the details of your car, including the plate number. There is no way you will take the car without providing the tag you were given.
“Our men will be there to check the tag against the plate number. Even if you claim to have lost your tag, you will provide authentic details to satisfy us that it is actually your car. That way, no one will steal a vehicle under our watch.
“As for commercial drivers, we will enter negotiations with them if they want to be parking frequently. Commercial drivers can be paying monthly or yearly. We have a human face and will make sure everyone benefits.”
