By Ismaila Jimoh, Abuja
Contractors handling the construction of bus and taxi terminals in three different locations within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have said that the projects have reached very significant advance stage and will soon be ready for commission soon.
This assurance was given by the Project Manager, Planet Projects, Rasheed Soladoye when members of the FCT Minister’s Press Corps ( feedback team) visited the three project sites to appraise the level of work done so far.
Soladoye told the visiting journalists that since the projects construction started in July last year in Mabuchi and Kugbo, it has been smooth, while take off of Central Area was delayed
for about two months owning to some challenges encountered concerning the site locations.
He however disclosed that both Mabuchi and Kugbo are 92 and 85 percent completed while that of Central Area was put at 50 percent due to aforementioned challenges.
According to him: ” We started the project sometimes in July last year, we started with Mabuchi in 1st of july, then on the 2nd of July we started that of kugbo, this one at the central area couldn’t start in time because of certain issue, we faced a little delay of about two months, that was why we couldn’t start at the same time with the others,the challenges was about siting, where we were initially given in the Central Area have issue of litigation on it, so, it took us sometimes before we could found this place,and when we got here we discovered there was underground facilities that needed to be removed and relocate and since that has been done you can see the work is going on smoothly too because we don’t have challenges in the area of fund at all.
” Hopefully with our schedule, by the grace of God by May we will commission this particular one in Central area, while that of Mabuchi and Kugbo will be ready for commissioning by the end of this month of February.
He said the feat being achieved by his company was significantly based on the promise made and promise kept on the making of fund available for the projects by the FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike whom he described as one that always keep to his word.
He disclosed that by the time the construction of the terminals will be 100% completed, it will boost of lot of facilities such as relaxation section where passengers waiting to board the buses can comfortably sit down while waiting for the announcement of commencement of boarding through the public address system, he also mentioned provision of cinema, where people can also watch different type of movies, also included according to him is the ATM gallery, where interested banks can come and partner with them by installing their ATM so that commuters can make use of it while at the terminals.
“You can see various activities that are ongoing, we combine commercial with what we do so that people can feel relax and feel at home when they are here, pay for your ticket, may be you are waiting for your bus, this is where you can relax, and we have all these digital platforms that will be making announcement whether the bus they are going to board are ready, when you look our front here, we have shops for commercial activities, the ticketing area is at the back there, we also have a space for any bank that want to partner with us, we have what we called ATM gallery, to my other side we have provision for cinema, where people can come and enjoy themselves by watching night movies and do all other things that has to do with entertainment, we have engage the services of about twenty security men, we have engage some women too, for the sweeping of this place on daily basis, this is just for the beginning, by the time we are done, you will see a whole lot of things, infact, we ‘re going to employe 18 people to be in charge of ticket selling.
Soladoye disclosed that in terms of creating employment for FCT residents, he said the company have worked with over three thousands residents on the projects.
” We have employed many residents of the FCT in this projects since we started, including the natives, you can even see them around, as a matter of fact over three thousands have worked with us and others are still working as we are now at the finishing stage of the projects, especially for that of Mabuchi and Kugbo.
Abigael Jatao, an Abuja native who is one of the cleaners employed by the company had this to say: ” I’m an indegene of Mabuchi, it’s not long I joined the Planet Projects as one if their cleaners, I have just work with the company for one month now, but I can tell you that I enjoy working with them, my working with them has really changed my life, it is different from where I used to work before, infact I am very happy with the siting of this project in my area here in Mabuchi, my big thank goes to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike for wonderful things he has been doing in this Abuja, may God bless him in a big way.
Another cleaner, Abigail Daniel who hail from Plateau State also expressed her happiness for being among the cleaners employed by the company.
” I just started working with the company yesterday, am using this opportunity to thank the company for employing me, before I was working with one madam, but she travelled out, she promised to open a business for me but she failed to do it, that is why I decided to look for another work for myself. So, I thank God for making this company employed me and also thank the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike for building this kind of thing here. May God bless him.
While expressing their views concerning the soon to be completed bus and taxi terminals the duo of Edani Vincent who introduced himself as the Taskforce Chairman and State Chairman, Association of Luxury Bus Owners Of Nigeria, Jabi Motor Park and Patrick Enyiako also Financial Secretary appears to be happy with the introduction of mothern bus and taxi terminals by the FCT Administration as they also solicit for the Administration’s assistance towards up grading the Jabi Motor Park to a befitting standard.
Edani Vincent put this way: ” The work of FCT Minister of constructing parks terminals for service within FCT is very good and nice because we believes it will help us to stop one chance in FCT, we have been fighting against one chance.
“All this roadside loading, FCT don’t supposed to be like that.
So with these parks in those areas, you can simply go to the park and enter motor.
“These three new bus and taxi terminals now lead you to anywhere you want to go in FCT, you can go there and enter your motor than to be causing obstruction on the road
” But when you come to the park and enter motor, if anything happen, you come back to the park, they will know the driver of the vehicles they load passengers to.
” we really appreciate the FCT minister the way he is reconstructing the road and putting the parks in FCT in order. We love it, and we also encourage him to come to this our Jabi Central Motor Park to help us modernized it, the park here is for a long journey.
” There was a time a developer came and tell us he will help us modernise this place, but later, we didn’t here anything again, since 2019 or 2020,
For Patrick Enyiako, he said introduction of such new transport arrangements will go a long way in bringing down intra transport fare being charged by drivers within the city.
” Apart from helping to bring down the cost of transportation within the city, it will also make all this one chance people to stop their criminal activities, because we heard that once the parks start operations those who have turned road side to park will not be allow to operate again.
END.
