It is now commonplace for youths in strategic locations, especially in Lagos State, to take to ‘car parking’ business. They trade every available space for money.
Our correspondent visited a street in Ikeja to find out why this trend is now on the rise. Car owners are charged some fee before being allowed to park their cars within its vicinity.
For the residents of this street, every space means money as they make their daily fortunes from car owners visiting the area. The street, which is very close to the popular Kodesoh Street, is a stone throw from the popular Ikeja Bridge linking the General Hospital.
Checks revealed that as you swerve your car into the street in search of a parking space, you are prevented by a barricade of a long iron chain; while a man in his late 30s approaches you, demanding for the fee! The man identifies himself as the one in charge and tells you to pay the fee, because, “This is Idowu Lane, Computer Village, Ikeja.
Our correspondent gathered that the man in-charge of the street, who would rush towards you from behind the chain barricade at the sight of an approaching car charges N200 for a parking space. The curious thing is that, as a visitor, you are not allowed to park your car on the street for more than an hour. Otherwise, you’re charged extra fee for staying beyond this time limit.
However, the man in-charge, who is simply identified as Yemi, does not even own a house along the street.
“I am well known here. I do not own a house here, but my parents do. I am working for the community and I pay N4,000 daily. Whatever remains becomes my take-away for the day. So, I earn my daily income here and I do not have any cause to complain”, he said.
Yemi disclosed that on a good day he could make as much as N6,000, but quickly added, “It could be less, but I will surely get my chop money here”.
Responding to a question, Yemi, who refused to allow our correspondent to take his photograph “for security reasons,” further said, “I have been working here for over 10 years. Any stubborn individual that does not want to conform to our laws is simply turned back. We will politely tell them.”
Yemi claimed that the money realised from the Street Park was for community development, explaining, “We have our Corporate Social Responsibility too. We use the money to clear our drainages and for other related matters.”
