The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared the on-street parking scheme in the FCT, known as park-and-pay, illegal due to irregularities in the contract agreement between the managing contractors and the FCT.
Wike made the announcement during a media briefing to mark his first year in office as FCT Minister, stating that he was unaware of the scheme until a friend brought it to his attention. He discovered that the agreement stipulated an 80% payback to the contractors, with only 20% remitted to the FCT.
The park-and-pay policy was introduced in 2012 to manage parking in the city, but was suspended in 2014 and reintroduced in August 2023. Wike’s decision to scrap the scheme comes after he questioned the transparency of the contract and the payment structure.
The FCT administration will now reassess the parking management system to ensure transparency and fairness.