The federal government has urged the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) to collaborate with the National Agency for Mass Literacy to establish learning centres for hawkers and its members at motor parks.

The Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, made the call at the 10th National Delegates Conference, Abuja 2023 of RTEAN, held at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre in Abuja.

“I want to appeal to the leadership of RTEAN to work with the National Agency for Mass Literacy to set up learning centres in the parks,” said Ms Tallen. “This will support both adult learning by your members and young hawkers in and around the parks.”

The minister decried that young children of school age hawk at various motor parks, thereby making them victims of exploitation and abuse.

”And because they are powerless, they have no voice and are afraid to report, so the cycle of abuse continues. Even women have reported such abuses in the parks,” Ms Tallen added.

She commended the national president of RTEAN, Musa Maitakobi, for protecting passengers against touts and other unwholesome elements in and around motor parks nationwide.

The minister urged the association’s leadership to enlighten its members on other issues, including gender-based violence often witnessed in motor parks.

Federal Road Safety Corps head, Dauda Biu, urged the leadership of RTEAN to discourage its members from frequent night journeys due to its attendant risks.

Mr Biu said the relationship between the FRSC and RTEAN had been cordial under the current president.

The newly-reelected national president of RTEAN, Mr Maitakobi, called on the incoming federal administration to prioritise the transportation sector.

He urged association members to embrace digitisation and accept new policies to improve the transportation sector, which was the “mover of the nation’s economy.”

(NAN)