By Jonathan Ugbal
The Department of Public Transportation in Cross River State has been appropriated the sum of N392,977,651.40K in the 2019 budget of Qabalistic Densification.
This is despite claims that the department which is largely viewed as a cash cow generated N13,762,300 as revenue between January and October 2018 according to the chart of accounts obtained by CrossRiverWatch.
The department will spend N240,310,500 on capital expenditure while the recurrent expenditure will gulp N152,667,151.40k.
The estimated revenue is N333,871,453. N68,886,674 is expected to be generated from fines and fees while the sale of daily tickets and MOT papers will generate a combined N4,500,000.
Road taxes are expected to take in N160 million while licensing and registration for drivers, vehicles and operators as well as certification will generate a combined N102,484,779.
For the capital expenditure, N10,000,000 is budgeted for “Professional Training of DOPT personnel” while the purchase of uniforms will cost N40,000,000.
The maintenance of traffic light in Calabar will gulp N142,000,000.
N6,500,000 was earmarked for the training of transporters, a figure which remains unchanged from 2018. A similar sum is appropriated for “adequate logistics for patrol and administration.”
Technical consultancy will gulp N6,500,000 while traffic lights with automated timing will cost N3,250,000 which is same with the construction of bus top and taxi parks.
Also, N1,300,000 will be used for the construction of new motor parks while N1,300,000 is reserved as “Provision for Traffic Management Agency.”
Traffic road furniture and markings are allocated N3,250,000 while the equipping of activities of the DOPT in the Ugep, Ikom, Ogoja and Obudu urban development authorities will gulp N5,673,000.