Bayelsa State Government has urged residents of the state and the general public to cooperate and support its policies aimed at promoting efficiency and effectiveness in the transport sector.
The Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, made the call when he paid an unscheduled visit to the Bayelsa Ultramodern Transport Terminal at Igbogene, a suburb of Yenagoa, the state capital, on Tuesday.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Doubara Atasi, appealed to the motoring public and commuters to be patient with the present administration as it takes steps to address some of the problems confronting the sector.
He explained that the recent policy mandating transporters and commuters to use only government approved motorparks was made in the best interest of the state.
According to him, the shutting down of illegal parks and their subsequent relocation to the state-of-the-art transport terminal at Igbogene for intercity transport has brought decency and serenity to the hitherto chaotic Tombia Junction and other areas in the state capital.
The Deputy Governor noted that while government intends to build more befitting parks to make commuting easier, he said the Ekeki Motorpark would continue to cater to the needs of those travelling within the state.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo, thanked the immediate past Governor and now Senator representing Bayelsa West, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, for conceiving the project and bringing it to near completion before leaving office.
He equally commended Governor Douye Diri for completing the project and putting it to use, describing the recent relocation order as part of the state government’s efforts to implement its urban renewal policy.
The Deputy Governor, who sympathised with the people for some of the inconveniences thrown up by the new policy, assured that government was doing everything possible to address all reasonable challenges associated with the use of the new transport terminal.
His words: “You know there is no state that has this kind of facility in our country for now. This is an airport terminal for some states and even for some countries. It was a well-thought-out plan by the immediate past Governor, Senator Seriake Dickson.
“We want to thank him for coming up with this project, which we inherited as part of the assets though there was some liability of completion.
“We also thank His Excellency, Governor Douye Diri for not only completing the project but also putting it to use by ordering the movement of all transporters involved in intercity transport to this place because that is the standard in every international city.
“What we have come here to do is to evaluate the implementation of no side parks in Bayelsa State. And as you know, for now, we have two parks in Yenagoa: the Ekeki Park and this park.
“Those who ought not to come here to load, for example, what is the business of somebody going to Ogbia, or Nembe, coming as far as Igbogene to takeoff? What will somebody going to Amassoma, or anywhere in Southern Ijaw come to do here instead of Ekeki park?
“So it is better they are somewhere there, so that it is only those who are actually going out of the state that will come here. That is part of the thinking we are doing, and in any case, we have a few issues as to the inadequacy of the space and the issue of the utilization of the spaces available. And we are addressing them.
“All that Bayelsans and commuters need to do is that they have to be patient. As a government, we are trying to moderate the issue of trekking to junction before boarding vehicles to the city centre. Those issues are being managed. So they should be patient.”
The Deputy Governor was accompanied on the inspection by the Commissioner for Transport, Hon. Preye Broderick, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mrs Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, their Bayelsa Central Special Duties counterpart, Mr Mandy Sylvanus Akpalo, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Dr Johnson Dagana and other top government officials.