Bello: Expect Robust Port Economy with FG Intervention on Apapa Gridlock
Nigerians and indeed stakeholders in the nation’s maritime industry have been assured of a robust port economy with the current federal government intervention in addressing the gridlock in Apapa and Tin Can Island areas of Lagos.
Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Mr Hassan Bello, gave this assurance weekend during a tour by members of the Presidential Task Team on Restoration of Law and Order in Apapa.
Bello said that already the infrastructure issue that has affected the flow of traffic is already being addressed by the federal government, adding that this will lead to an efficient port operation.
According to him, with the award of contract for the rehabilitation of the affected roads and planned linkage of the ports of Lagos with rail network, port operation will in a matter of time improve tremendously.
Bello who commended the efforts of the Presidential Task Team for the result so far achieved in checking the gridlock said some far-reaching measures have been taken by government agencies, shipping companies and terminal operators for a lasting solution to the problem.
He said that with the efforts on ground, Apapa residents, stakeholders and the economy will be freed from the traffic menace.
He identified the federal government, the Lagos State Government, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Shippers Council, Apapa Local Government, union of truckers, drivers, Nigeria Police and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), among others as having made sacrifices to end the gridlock.
He added that the NPA in addition to the Lily Pond Terminal it made available was working on introducing a manual call up system to be followed by electronic call up system soon.
He also disclosed that the NSC has identified four private terminals that can be put into use as part of the efforts to achieve sanity in Apapa ports environment.
Bello disclosed that the service providers have also made sacrifices by reducing demurrage days for the importers.
The shipping companies, he said, extended the demurrage free days from 5 to 10 days, while terminal operators have reviewed their three free days to 8 days.
Bello said, “On the issue of infrastructure, you have seen the road being constructed, the moment this is done, most of the issues will go. We have the holding bay and trailer parks , they are going to be available. NPA has already started with Lilypond Terminal for the trailers. This will mitigate the gridlock. We also have private parks. Shippers Council has identified about 54 of them which will be put to use. And once we have a combination of all this, we shall have sanity on the road. A lot of sacrifices have been made. NPA has been on the issue for a very long time, the shipping companies have also made sacrifices . They have extended the demurrage free days from 5 days to 10 days. We are expecting them to do more. Terminal operators have also made sacrifices, the three days free days have been extended to 8 days. And I think that is wonderful so that they don’t charge demurrage until it is the 8th day”.
Bello appealed to the truckers and the drivers to be disciplined and follow procedures for sanity to be achieved on the road.
He said, “For the truckers, we need them to be disciplined because without discipline, we cannot achieve anything. Somebody said 60 percent of the problem is lack of traffic management, we are appealing to the truckers, unions and drivers to follow procedures. The manual call up system will be decided soon whereby trucks are called only when they are needed so that not everybody will rush to Apapa . From there we migrate to electronic call up system . NPA is leading on this and all the parties are involved. The shipping companies, terminal operators will start meeting on Tuesday to articulate this. Some terminals have their own call up system. So this simplification of procedures and processes will help in easing traffic congestion”.
The NSC CEO called for synergy among all the stakeholders, including the Police, LASTMA and other agencies by coming together to talk to themselves to address any issue that may arise for the purpose of achieving sustainable free traffic.
He expressed optimism that the various efforts being made to tackle the gridlock will lead to an efficient port economy in terms of ease of doing business and reduction in cost of doing business as well.
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