Truck owners agree to move vehicles off roads, bridges

In preparation for the commencement of the electronic call-up system introduced by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the maritime truckers have agreed to move trucks away from roads and bridges to their respective parks to allow for seamless implementation of the ‘Eto’ scheme.

President, Maritime Truck Owners, Remi Odugbemi, in a communiqué after the Maritime Truckers’ meeting in Apapa, Lagos, said: “All maritime truckers have agreed to move trucks from roads and bridges to their respective parks to allow “Eto” automation system to seamlessly schedule, manage and control the movement of all trucks from parks to the ports,”

The group urged that Truck and Transit Park Limited (TTP) should carry all garages along in the implementation of “Eto” automation system of accessing port terminals.

He added that: “Truckers should sensitize their drivers on the dangers of drug abuse and allowing inexperienced motor boys to drive the truck into port terminals to reduce the rate of accidents involving trucks and terminal equipments in the yard.

“All the people that previously participated in various task force operations in Apapa/Tincan road axis must not form part of any “eto” implementation task force or committee.”

Meanwhile, truck owners in the maritime industry have floated a new transport association tagged “Logistics Practitioners Association of Nigeria (LPAN), aimed at tackling some of the menace and bottlenecks faced along the port corridors in Lagos State.

The Chairman, Steering Committee, LPAN, Godwin Ikeji, who is a Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) stalwart, said the trustees of the new body resolved to identify some of the challenges in trucking operations, hence the need to form a formidable team.

Ikeji in a chat with journalists at the weekend, noted that founding members of the group harped on the shortcomings of the various associations and unions that exist in the industry to float the new body.

According to him, the loopholes and failures of the haulage sub-sector of the maritime industry need to be tackle in ensuring free flow of vehicular and cargo movement from the seaports in Lagos to the various hinterlands.

“We are coming up with a mission of integrity, we as a group are coming up with strategies that will enable transport operations thick and to carry out activities of best practices. We have associations and we have unions in this industry but the situation we are faced with now does not require both but integrity and experience,” he said.