Abstract

Transportation and human mobility have become a part of development in many developing countries. In Nigerian cities, this vital activity has also led to problems associated with large quantities of waste generation and became a management issue for Local and State Governments. This work was carried out at three major motor parks, viz. Akinyele, Iwo Road, and New Garage, in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State in South-western Nigeria. To assess the nature of wastes generated and the current disposal practices in the selected motor parks. Data was collected through key informant interviews (KII); transect walk and personal observations, focus group discussions (FGD) and available reports and publications. The findings revealed a generally poor environmental hygiene, as the waste is disposed on to open dumps, streams or open burning. These practices apparently are unhygienic and to mitigate such public health issues, a proper organizational structure and supervision by a designated officer is found to be effective in keeping the motor parks safe and hygienic in the interest of public health. Most of the respondents, though aware of such problems could not do much due to lack of funds, tools and support from the government. The waste problems in the motor parks are neglected by the various tiers of government and there is need for greater attention as it is a public health concern in Nigerian cities.

Key words: Waste, disposal, motor parks.