Abstract
Parking lots are areas designated and fixed by the authority of city’s management or its agents to ease inter and intra-transport systems for long or short journey passengers. Parking lot is an essential part of the transport system; it plays a crucial role in the management of traffic and congestion. But where these lots are not authorized they become illegal parking. Illegal parking lot forms one of the major problems that makes traffic situation frenzied in some Nigeria cities. Most roads in Nigeria cities are narrow, helix and lack pedestrian lanes (Asiyanbola and Akinpelu, 2012). These challenges at times make them potently tainted with traffic holdups and traffic congestion. There are cases of double parking along these narrow roads thereby causing traffic clogging. Current problems emanate from few availability of parking facilities along the transportation routes or where they are designated and fixed; the transporters misused, abused or abandoned them, just as in the case of Ilorin metropolis. This work examines the menace of on-street illegal parking within Ilorin metropolis, Nigeria. Both primary and secondary data which were collected in 2013 were used in the study. Among the issues examined in the study are the situation of existing parking facilities along the transportation routes; perception of road users (drivers and passengers) about motorist’s parking behavior and the effect of on-street illegal parking in the area. Policy implications are discussed in the paper. Key-words: Parking lots, on-street illegal parking, parking facilities, transportation routes, metropolis, traffic clogging, Nigeria.
Highlights
Cities are the engine of sustainability of any country as they are the sources of economic growth and development, but the environmental implications of such growth and development need to be thoroughly managed to suppress its consequences which are copious and hazardous
Workers (NURTW), the Road Transport Employer’s Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), while verbal to verbal interviews were carried out among Government Agencies/officials - such as the police/traffic control officers in their various duty-posts in selected road junctions around Ilorin city to obtain information on poor parking spaces that usually caused on-street parking problems when they are at work
It was discovered that only few bus-stops are found in streets/roads in the city of Ilorin thereby causing traffic congestion, hubbub and in some occasions resulted into accident
Summary
Cities are the engine of sustainability of any country as they are the sources of economic growth and development, but the environmental implications of such growth and development need to be thoroughly managed to suppress its consequences which are copious and hazardous. Ilorin city and the capital of Kwara state, is one of the major cities in Nigeria today and its growing strength in both socio-economic relationships is commendable (Ahmed, 2013). The city is potently polluted with inadequate parking space, emergence of mini inter-urban motor parks and garages in both nooks and cranes of the city as well as illegal motor parks. The menace of this un-authorized parks occasionally resulted into free-fight among road users include drivers, motor cyclists and pedestrians in some places around the city hub (Ahmed, 2013).
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