Trailers parked along the busy Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway.

Federal Government has ordered the evacuation of trucks and trailers along the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway before the year ends.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola who stated this during an inspection tour of the road said the evacuation was to ease vehicular movement, address the issue of insecurity in the area and reduce incessant damage on the shoulder of the road.

He said that the purpose of the inspection was to assess areas where the trucks could be relocated away from the right of way.

Represented by the Director of Highway Construction and Rehabilitation, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, who is also the Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Folorunsho Esan said federal government had constituted a Presidential Inter-Agency Committee (PIAC) to hasten the evacuation of trucks.

He said the ministry would provide a temporary park at Tafa, along Kaduna road, where the vehicles could be parked, adding that the park would accommodate about 500 trucks when fully operational.

“We want road users to have free passage without bottlenecks. So we are here to inspect facilities that are available where trucks can now be moved to,” he explained.

The Minister said that the Tafa axis of the road was more problematic, but added that there was a provision where the trucks would be moved to.

A representative of the Petroleum Tankers Association (PTA), Mr. Abdullahi Haruna, said tanker drivers were ready to move immediately alternative parking space was provided.

He said that there was the need to make the park conducive for the users through the provision of basic facilities like boreholes, toilets, and canteens.

District Head of Jere, Yusuf Suleiman, said he was happy about the development and assured the committee that he would mobilize and make sure that the trucks leave the shoulders of the highway when the park is ready.