The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said the ultra-modern Benin Central Park, in the heart of Benin City, the state capital, will transform the transportation sector and help decongest traffic in the Benin metropolis.
The governor said this after inspecting the progress of work at the Central Park, adding that the park, which is 90 percent complete, was designed to ensure efficient city commute service.
He noted, “We’re here just to see how we can possibly expand and have a phase two of this project. Looking around today, you see the traffic along Sakponba Road is hectic. Those buses will come here so that we can relieve the city of the terrible traffic situation we are currently experiencing because of the lack of a central park.
“We have acquired all the other properties on Oba Market Road for expansion of this park. Currently, this park will take 370 buses at any point in time. We are expecting that by the time we expand this facility, it will take over 1000 buses, which is almost twice the capacity we are experiencing today across the city.”
Responding to concerns on maintenance of the facilities by transporters, he said, “There is nothing wrong in trying to make these people get to international standard. They are human beings; they can learn. Our responsibility is to provide the facilities, train and upgrade them. You don’t say they are down and leave them there.
“Your responsibility as a leader is to pull them up and get them to experience what their mates everywhere in the world are experiencing.”
Obaseki added, “The Central Park is going to be connected to the Ossiomo Power Plant with 24/7 hours of electricity. It’s going to have Wifi and a supermarket; it is just going to be like any other ultra-modern transport terminus in the world.
“We are working with Edo State Public Building Agency and they are currently working out a maintenance agreement like a private-public partnership agreement for most of the government buildings and facilities.”
The park, located along the Obakhavbaye axis of Ring Road, is expected to accommodate both Edo City Transport Service and mini-busses.