Commercial transporters in Kaduna on Saturday attributed the low patronage of motor parks to the current security challenges in the country.

A check at some motor parks in Kaduna revealed low vehicular activities with few passengers waiting for vehicles to be filled up.

Some of the officials of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Kaduna Chapter, spoke on the issue.

They said that as against the usual beehive of activities at motor parks, especially during festivities like Sallah, people preferred to mark the festival at their locations for fear of the unknown.

Patrick Onoche, an NURTW official at Television Motor Park, said the recent incidents of insecurity in the country had forced passengers to observe a low key celebration.

“People are now security conscious so that execpt it becomes necessary, nobody travels anyhow lately. Although there are a handful of passengers, but the patronage is poor,” Mr Onoche lamented.

Similarly, Kabir Isa, a commercial vehicle driver at Abuja Park, on command junction, said he had yet to get his vehicle filled and had waited for over two hours.

“Usually, passengers travelling from Kaduna to Abuja are less than those coming into Kaduna from Abuja.

“Besides that, people are afraid of 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 travelling to Kafanchan and Jos, especially from Zaria had taken alternative routes.

“The reason is not far-fetched from fear of kidnappers,” he said.

Deborah Ambi, a passenger at the Abuja park, said that she had waited for more than two hours for the vehicle she boarded to get filled up.

“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, said the low patronage at the parks was due to people preferring to spend the Sallah festivity in Kaduna than travel to Abuja.

“It is usually the same, even during Christmas and other holidays,” he added.

(NAN)