Due to the frightening situation of insecurity in Nigeria commercial transporters in Kaduna on Saturday attributed the low patronage of motor parks to the current security challenges facing the country.
Some of motor parks witnessed a very low vehicular activity with only a few boarded passengers awaiting for vehicles to be filled up before their eventual departure.
Officials of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, (NURTW), Kaduna Chapter, who spoke said the situation was clear departure from what it used to be in previous years.
They said that parks were usually beehives of activities, especially during festivities like Sallah.
“People preferred to mark the festival at their locations for fear of the unknown,’’ the union officials said.
Mr Patrick Onoche, an NURTW official at Television Motor Park, said the recent incidences of insecurity in the country had forced passengers to observe a low key celebration.
“People are now security conscious so except it becomes necessary, nobody wants to travel anyhow lately.
“Although, there is a very handful of passengers, but the patronage is poor,” Onoche said.
Similarly, Mr Kabir Isa, a commercial vehicle driver at the Abuja Park, on command junction, said he was yet to get his vehicle filled and have been waiting for over two hours for passengers.
“Usually, passengers traveling from Kaduna to Abuja are less than those coming into Kaduna from Abuja.
“Besides that, people are afraid of the Kaduna-Abuja road because of kidnappers and that is the major reason for the low patronage being witnessed,” he added.
At Sabo motor park, Gambo Musa, also a commercial vehicle driver, said the park witnessed low patronage because passengers traveling to Kafanchan and Jos, especially from Zaria had taken alternative routes.
“The reason is not far-fetched from fear of kidnappers,” he said.
Mrs Deborah Ambi, a passenger at Abuja Park that she had waited for more than two hours for the vehicle which she boarded to get filled.
“I intend to travel to Zuba and spend the Sallah with my family. I pray and commit the journey to God’s hands and that removes any tendency of fear,” she said.
Dogara Idi, another passenger, on his part, said the low patronage at the parks was due to people preferring to spend the Sallah in Kaduna than travel to Abuja.
“It is usually the same, even during Christmas and other holidays,” he added.
“It is usually the same, even during Christmas and other holidays,” he added.
