A socio-political activist and critic, Chief Adesunbo Onitiri, yesterday, faulted the Lagos State Government for allegedly enacting a law authorizing Lagos Parking Authority to demand ‘outrageous’ permit fees for setbacks (off street) parking.
He urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to ask the State House of Assembly to revoke or review the law immediately in the overall interest of the state’s citizenry.
Onitiri, in a statement, said the parking permits fee was not in tandem with the economic realities in the country.
The Lagos Parking Authority in letters to landlords and organisations had demanded from them N80,000 for one slot, N240,000 for three slots plus N50,000 non-refundable administrative/processing fees for setbacks (offstreet) parking from landlords and business organsations.
Onitiri said paying such outrageous fees would further impoverish the people the government claimed to be catering for, particularly the property owners, who were already paying annual tenement and land rates to Lagos State Government.
He said: “The introduction of setback/ off street parking by the state government now was a height of insensitivity to the yearnings and sufferings of the people because it would skyrocket both house rents and office accommodations.
The social critic wants to know if the parking fees were replacing the tenement rates.
He said the parking fee was unfair because many house owners were living in their homes without renting them out, asking “Shouldn’t they park their vehicles in their homes?”
