Abuse of Parking Facilities and the Decay of Ikeja Central Business District, Ikeja Local Government Area, Lagos State

Abstract

Illegal parking has been a topical issue in environmental planning and management, especially in the area of generating early warning systems for preparedness against space abuse. However, the concentration of research effort on accessibility in central business district with unjustified neglect of parking abuse impedes the search for analytical explanations and effective strategies to control spatial challenges. The study examined the types and nature of parking facilities and parking abuse. It also examined causes and effects of the abuse, as well as the response to abuse of the parking facilities in Ikeja Central Business District of Ikeja Local Government Area. Primary and secondary data were used for the study. Primary data were collected through in-depth interview with opinion leaders and questionnaires administered to 106 respondents randomly sampled in the core and periphery of the Central Business District of Ikeja. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, percentage and chi-square. Secondary data used were map of the study area and images generated from Google earth. Results showed that there were two types of parking facilities; off-street (destination parking lot) and on-street parking facilities in the area. The nature of parking abuse was highly indiscriminate, and the prevailing type of parking facility abuse in the study area was unauthorized conversion of earmarked parking spaces to commercial trading spots. The effects of the parking abuse were mainly unavailability of parking space and traffic congestion, and the major perpetuators of the abuse were traders. The response of enforcement officials to indiscriminate parking was affirmed to be inefficient by 87.7% of the respondents. The study concluded that the abuse of parking facility was rampant in the study area.