FCT park and pay scheme illegal, says Wike

Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), says the on-street parking scheme, popularly called park and pay, is illegal.

In an interview on Wednesday to mark his one year in office, Wike said the agreement with contractors managing the scheme was marred by fraud.

Wike said: “A friend of mine, a senior advocate, called me and said: ‘Sir, people came to our office now trying to hijack all our cars. They said they are from the transport secretariat’. I said, what is that? Give the person the phone. I said who are you and he said from park and pay. What do you mean by park and pay? I park in my house and I pay?

“I called the mandate secretary of transport secretariat. I said who introduced the park and pay? What does it mean? Who collects the money? Unknown to us, there was an agreement between the secretariat and some people who say they are consultants. Consultants? I said okay, consultant takes 80 percent and the government takes 20 percent? Where is this 20 per cent being paid to the government?“

“It is illegal. That is the point I am telling you. It does not exit,” he added.

THE CONTROVERSIAL POLICY

In August 2023, the FCTA reintroduced the park and pay scheme after signing an agreement with two concessionaires to decongest the city and make motoring a more pleasant experience.

In April 2014, the FCTA suspended the policy after a high court judgment stopped the collection of on-street parking fees within the metropolis.

In July, the house of representatives committee on FCT faulted the policy, saying implementers of the scheme “incessantly” harass residents and motorists in the nation’s capital.

Muktar Betara, chairman of the house committee, suggested that the policy should transferred to the VIO for proper implementation.