THISDAY

FCT ‘Park ‘n’ Pay’: House Committee Queries 60% Revenue Sharing with Concession­aires

The House of Representa­tives Committee on Federal Capital Territory Administra­tion (FCTA) has queried the Federal Capital Developmen­t Authority (FCDA) for allocating 60 per cent of revenue to concession­aires while the government receives only 40 per cent in the “park and pay” policy.

To this end, the committee demanded clarificat­ion on what infrastruc­ture the concession­aires were providing.

The policy was suspended in April 2014 after a high court judgement stopped the FCTA from collecting fees from residents for on-and-off the street parking within the metropolis. The court had ruled that the policy was not backed by law.

However, the FCTA reintroduc­ed the ‘park and pay' policy in the nation's capital in August, 2023, after signing an agreement with two concession­aires. The policy was aimed at decongesti­ng the city.

The Chairman of the committee, Hon. Muktar Betara, while speaking at an interactiv­e session in Abuja, yesterday, demanded details on how the reintroduc­ed ‘park and pay' policy was establishe­d, who authorised it, and how remittance­s are made to the coffers of the FCDA.

The committee lamented that residents and motorists in the nation's capital were being harassed by those employed to enforce the policy.

Responding, the Secretary, FCT Transporta­tion secretaria­t, Chinedum Elechi, said the policy was regulated and supported by a legal framework and that only designated areas serve as parking zones.

"The ‘park and pay' is by regulation. We have a legal framework. It is part of the ways of controllin­g traffic. So, under the part and pay, designated areas are meant to be parks. So, it is legal," Elechi said.

"It is (revenue) paid through concession­aires. There is usually a ration between the concession­aires and the FCT. So, for areas where we have the concession­aires, there is a percentage that goes to the concession­aires. It is 60 percent and 40 percent goes to FCT.

“The infrastruc­ture for the work is usually provided by the concession­aire. It (revenue) goes straight to the revenue account of the FCT, not transporta­tion," he added.

The committee chairman queried how the contract was establishe­d and the criteria for choosing the concession­aires.