Apapa gridlock: NPA blacklists six truck parks
By KARIOLA MUSTAPHA
The Nigerian Ports Authority has blacklisted six truck parks for non-compliance with the guidelines for the electronic call-up system, our correspondent has learnt.
The e-call-up system was recently set up by the NPA to manage the movement of trucks operating in Apapa.
A source who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “Six of the truck parks that are being used to house the trucks were in the habit of checking in and checking out trucks without actually having the trucks in their parks.
“What this implied is that the trucks would be on the road at a time that they were expected to be in the parks and waiting to be invited out. This was causing additional traffic to those that have been validated to be on the road. These parks have been identified by TTP and blacklisted by NPA.”
Last Thursday, on account of the visit of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), there were reports about how the usual gridlock disappeared from the ports’ access road.
On Tuesday, our correspondent visited Apapa and observed that the free flow of traffic was still maintained.
When contacted, the Co-founder and Managing Director, TTP, Mr Jama Onwubuariri, told our correspondent, “Before the President visited, the security agencies informed us to get the trucks off the road. With their support, we were able to move the trucks off the road. We moved the trucks into parks and garages. We asked them to return to the warehouses of their owners.
“This way, we were able to squeeze them into any available space. We sent some out of Apapa entirely so as not to disrupt the flow of the presidential convoy.
“The road is still free today (Tuesday) because we have asked the trucks not to come out until they receive their e-call-up, which contains their given time and a schedule to come out. However, trucks have been going in since Thursday night when the President left. So it is not as if there is no maritime business.”
He said the current sanity had been maintained with the support of the Lagos State Government, the NPA and the truckers.
Asked if the development could be sustained, Onwubuariri said TTP would develop a digital manifest for truck release to ports’ access roads.
He added that the organisation would secure additional parking spaces outside of the port precinct to ensure the increase of the holding capacity for static trucks to meet the demand.
He said TTP would constantly carry out data analytics and work with security agencies to identify bad actors and apply relevant consequence management measures.
“We will train and retrain transporters on how to resist extortion and intimidation using accurate data; create more awareness on the part of users; and encourage the use of our ethics reporting channels to ensure complaints are safely transmitted,” he added. (The PUNCH)
