Residents and commuters around Maraban Jos, along Kaduna-Zaria Highway, have expressed relief over the relocation of the over 20-year-old illegal trailer park by the highway saying that will reduce the rate of accidents on the road.
Arewa Trust Weekly observed that tanker and articulated truck drivers have already moved their vehicles into the new trailer park constructed by the Kaduna State government.
The relocation was celebrated by residents and commuters who said the illegal park had for years caused congestion and gridlocks which on many occasions resulted in fatal accidents.
Our reporter, who visited the newly constructed park observed that the premises was gradually becoming active with food vendors busy attending to customers and officials of the Kaduna State Traffic Law Enforcement Agency (KASTLEA) monitoring and controlling activities of drivers.
Zayyad Rigachikun, a bus driver plying the road, commended the state government for the bold step, saying by directing articulated truck and tanker drivers to leave the main road, many lives would be saved.
The chairman, Petroleum Tanker Drivers Union of Maraban Jos, Yunusa Lawal, urged his members to be patient with the new environment as arrangements were on top gear to complete the remaining part of the park to accommodate more vehicles and other artisans like mechanics and vulcanizers.
“It was not easy being ordered to vacate a place you have been occupying for 20 years but as law-abiding citizens, we have to obey since it’s for our safety to move away from the highway,” he said.
He said through the years, many people have died in accidents along the road due to illegal parking by the roadside. He said they have met with the authorities concerned on the need to construct more private toilets within the new park.
Babangida Ali, a resident of Maraban Jos and a mechanic, described the relocation as a welcome development and urged the management of the park to provide spaces for mechanics.
Yusuf Mohammed Anka, Branch Secretary of Heavy Open Body Trucks Association of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Maraban Jos, also urged management of the park to create spaces for mechanics, food vendors and other traders within the park to make life comfortable for drivers.
Also speaking to Arewa Trust Weekly, the Maraban Jos Youth Leader, Samaila Abubakar, appealed to the state government to consider providing a mechanic village close by, saying the park would function better with a mechanics garage.
He said that would encourage mechanics and vulcanizers to stay off the streets as directed by the state government.
