Commercial Transport Operators Move Into Nnenna Oti Bus Terminal In Umuahia

As Abia State government commenced enforcement of its centralized transport policy requiring all commercial transport operators in Umuahia, to operate from a central motor park, transport operators in the Abia State capital have commenced phased relocation to the newly inaugurated Nnenna Oti Central Bus Terminal .

Already, the the government-operated Abia Green Shuttle buses heralded the relocation, followed by the informal transport operators in the second phase while the third phase will involve the formal transport operators.

Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, made this public in Government House Umuahia on Tuesday, during the weekly post-State Executive Council (EXCO) meeting, announcing that full operations have commenced at the terminal.

Kanu disclosed that in order to ensure compliance by the transport operators, the state government held series of meetings with transport stakeholders, where all their concerns were addressed but noted that some operators were resisting the transport policy change.

“There appears to be some push backs among some of the operators and this is as a result of the fact that people are not easily given to change. What is happening is that all the parks in the state capital have been moved to the bus terminal.

“The Honourable Commissioner for Transport and his team have been holding a series of meetings with all the operators. They had one yesterday and a few of their anxieties will be addressed very soon. Enforcement also will commence today (Tuesday) to bring all the operators into the terminal,” Kanu said.

Addressing concerns being raised by some operators, the Commissioner for Transport, Dr Chimezie Ukaegbu, said the state government has not taken away anybody’s means of livelihood but rather introduced a better organized system to sanitize and improve transport system in Abia.

According to him, transport unions and operators were each mandated to bring four of their workers to represent them at the terminal where they would be properly identified and be carried along.

He further explained that the terminal operates a transparent system that allocates loading opportunities on a first-come, first-served basis, irrespective of union affiliations.

He said that about 90 percent of operators have relocated to the terminal, adding that continuous engagements were ongoing with those yet to fully comply with the government’s transport policy.

Contributing, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, said that the centralized transport operations would reduce urban congestion, indiscriminate loading bays and address security challenges associated with the influx of unregulated transport operators.