The Nigerian Shippers’ Council has threatened that beginning from this year; 2015, shipping companies that do not have holding bays for empty containers would not be allowed to operate in the maritime industry.The threat was issued recently at a stakeholders meeting between the Economic Management Team of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and maritime stakeholders in Apapa, Lagos.
Speaking at the meeting, which was chaired by Mr. Gabriel Aduda, Director of Economic, Research and Policy Management under the Federal Ministry of Transport, the Director of Commercial Shipping Services of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council; Mrs Dabney Shal-Holma lamented that shipping companies operating at the port do not have provisions for holding bays for empty containers and this contributes to the congestion and traffic gridlock at the port.
"Any shipping company that does not have holding bay by 2015, such company will not be allowed to operate in this industry" she warned.
According to her, a situation whereby truck owners queue up endlessly along major roads leading to the port in order to drop empty containers will no longer be acceptable.
She also said that there is need for shipping companies to build holding bays with an effective call-up system for trucks accessing the port to pick or drop containers.
The Shippers’ Council director also called on maritime truck owners to ensure that they register their trucks under one company, in order to make it easy for the Council to control trucks accessing the port.
She noted that individual ownership and operation of maritime trucks would not allow policies and government directives to be well-implemented, except they are all organized under one company.
She said that the Council is already working with the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMARTO) and its consultant; Mr. Chris Orode, as well as other international consultants and that it will soon roll out fresh plans regarding movement of trucks at the nation's port.
The Director also lamented that the petroleum tank farms operating inside the Ibru complex also do not have provision for a holding bay and a call-up system.
Shal-Holmanoted that some multinational companies operating inside the complex have holding bay and a good call-up system, but lamented that many of them have since disregarded the system because of the disorganized nature of the axis.
According to her, the Ibru complex accounts for 60 percent of the traffic gridlock along the Coconut and Tin Can Port road.
"We have a problem with one jetty and that is the Ibru Jetty, if you have only five litres of product you can go there and wait, they don't have a call-up system, everybody is using the place, it's like a common-user area, everybody comes in, picks what they want to pick and go out"
"Recently we told them that they need to start using their call-up system, to a large extent this succeeded for about a month and the roads became free, you must have noticed a month ago that the roads were free, this is because all the multinationals started using their call up system"
"What we are saying is that Ibru Jetty should sit down with us and design a call up system. By so doing, 60% of traffic on the roads would have been reduced" Shal-Holma said.
She assured that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council is already working with a consultant to ensure that traffic gridlock on the access roads to the port is eliminated.
She also confirmed that the Council is coming up with a new call-up system by 2015 which will ensure that only trucks that have business inside the port are allowed to go inside.
"Unless you have a reason to ply that road, you cannot ply the road, the system is going to start outside of Lagos, before a truck can come into Lagos vicinity it must have business in the port area otherwise it will be turned round"
She affirmed that the new system was painstakingly planned and that the Council is already meeting with Lagos State Government and other stakeholders on the call up system.http://shippingposition.com.ng/article/shippers%E2%80%99-council-close-down-shipping-companies-no-holding-bays
According to her, a situation whereby truck owners queue up endlessly along major roads leading to the port in order to drop empty containers will no longer be acceptable.
She also said that there is need for shipping companies to build holding bays with an effective call-up system for trucks accessing the port to pick or drop containers.
The Shippers’ Council director also called on maritime truck owners to ensure that they register their trucks under one company, in order to make it easy for the Council to control trucks accessing the port.
She noted that individual ownership and operation of maritime trucks would not allow policies and government directives to be well-implemented, except they are all organized under one company.
She said that the Council is already working with the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMARTO) and its consultant; Mr. Chris Orode, as well as other international consultants and that it will soon roll out fresh plans regarding movement of trucks at the nation's port.
The Director also lamented that the petroleum tank farms operating inside the Ibru complex also do not have provision for a holding bay and a call-up system.
Shal-Holmanoted that some multinational companies operating inside the complex have holding bay and a good call-up system, but lamented that many of them have since disregarded the system because of the disorganized nature of the axis.
According to her, the Ibru complex accounts for 60 percent of the traffic gridlock along the Coconut and Tin Can Port road.
"We have a problem with one jetty and that is the Ibru Jetty, if you have only five litres of product you can go there and wait, they don't have a call-up system, everybody is using the place, it's like a common-user area, everybody comes in, picks what they want to pick and go out"
"Recently we told them that they need to start using their call-up system, to a large extent this succeeded for about a month and the roads became free, you must have noticed a month ago that the roads were free, this is because all the multinationals started using their call up system"
"What we are saying is that Ibru Jetty should sit down with us and design a call up system. By so doing, 60% of traffic on the roads would have been reduced" Shal-Holma said.
She assured that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council is already working with a consultant to ensure that traffic gridlock on the access roads to the port is eliminated.
She also confirmed that the Council is coming up with a new call-up system by 2015 which will ensure that only trucks that have business inside the port are allowed to go inside.
"Unless you have a reason to ply that road, you cannot ply the road, the system is going to start outside of Lagos, before a truck can come into Lagos vicinity it must have business in the port area otherwise it will be turned round"
She affirmed that the new system was painstakingly planned and that the Council is already meeting with Lagos State Government and other stakeholders on the call up system.http://shippingposition.com.ng/article/shippers%E2%80%99-council-close-down-shipping-companies-no-holding-bays
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