Many trucks were yesterday abandoned on the Apapa end of the Apapa-Oshodi expressway as the truck owners association ordered withdrawal of services in protest against the Lagos State Government order on restriction on trucks movements.
ShippingPosition Daily correspondent who visited the Tin Can Island Port and the Apapa Port yesterday noticed that the trucks have already taken double lanes from Mile 2 to Tin Can Port and from Funsho Williams Avenue to the Apapa port.
Our correspondent also noticed that some of the drivers have started defecating openly on the expressway as a result of their passing the night in their trucks.Chairman of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO); Chief Remi Ogungbemi had directed his members to withdraw their trucks from the port on Monday after the Lagos State Government restricted their movement to between 9pm to 6am.
Speaking with Shipping Position Daily on the strike, public relations officer of the Tin Can Island Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mr. Chris Osunkwo appealed to the government and the drivers that good reasoning should prevail.
Osunkwo however assured that the strike is not having any toll on activities at the port other than the fact that traders, importers and their clearing agents when they finished clearing their cargoes could not find trucks to carry them.
He said that the unruly attitude of the truck drivers needs to be nipped in the bud, because their attitude has led to the death of innocent Nigerians. He also lamented that the traffic gridlock caused by the trucks have over the years affected customs officers as well as other port users from getting to their work place early.
“I think there is every need that we should have some sanity in that sector because our experiences are better imagined than voiced out, the truck drivers have killed so many people, their nonchalant attitudes, they don't care about other road users, and each time government tries to bring sanity, you see them proving stubborn and threatening to go on strike, it is very unfair"
"It is not going to affect our operations because nobody is going to wait for them to come back to work before their goods are cleared, do one thing at a time, finish the clearance of your goods, when we get to that bridge of moving the cargoes out, we will cross it", he stated.
While praying that the port system will not be thrown into another round of port congestion, the Customs image maker described the strike by the truckers as an empty threat.
"Mr. Remi Ogungbemi, we appreciate his efforts, but if you work in this environment you will realise that these truck drivers do unprintable things, their attitude on the road is bad, they should be a little bit disciplined, if we continue like this, one day they will take over the government of this country" Osunkwo warned.
Also speaking on the issue, Vice Chairman, Tin Can Island Chapter of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Mr. Mustapha Aboki condemned the fact that the truckers use the port as a holding bay.
He said that most of the truck drivers do not usually have cargoes to carry, but that they choose to come and cue on the port access road with the hope of getting jobs from freight forwarders for them to go and load cargoes.
The NAGAFF chieftain however harped on the need for government to rehabilitate the roads leading in and out of the port, saying that this has been one of the biggest challenges facing port operators. He said that stakeholders will appreciate it if a genuine step is taken by government to sanitize the system.
While condemning the action of the truckers, Aboki said: "There is a time frame they are supposed to come in and pick cargo, if they adhere strictly to that, I think it will be good, most of them don't even have cargoes to carry, they will just come and cue on the road and wait to collect waiting order from a freight forwarder for them to go and load, they don't have anything doing inside the port"
"Without loading order, they should not come to the port, they don't have parking spaces too, they can be on the road for one week before they eventually get jobs" he said.
Also reacting, a source who pleaded anonymity called on the government to disregard any strike threat by the truckers.
He called on President Muhammadu Buhari to emulate former Head of States, General Sanni Abacha and totally ban truckers from the port.
Meanwhile, theLagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has directed the police in the state to start the enforcement of the relevant section of the traffic law, which restricted the movement of trucks and other long vehicles to between 9pm and 6am in the state.
The governor also ordered the police to tackle street trading, robbery in traffic and other security challenges in the state.
The state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, on Tuesday said the directives were the outcome of the monthly Security Council Meeting at the Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja, presided over by Ambode.
“The law as it relates to restriction of movement of trailers and articulated vehicles between the hours of 6am to 9pm will be enforced in a manner that will not impede commercial activities in the state.
“We should, however, not forget that Section 2(1) of the law exempts trucks conveying petroleum products and passenger vehicles.
“We shall ensure that truck drivers comply with the extant law and also ensure that the law on street trading is enforced; but we shall be doing so with human face.”
He said apart from enforcement, the governor urged sensitisation and public enlightenment as a strategy to dissuade members of the public from patronising street traders.http://shippingposition.com.ng/article/face%E2%80%93-lasg-truck-drivers-abandon-trailers-apapa-oshodi-expressway
ShippingPosition Daily correspondent who visited the Tin Can Island Port and the Apapa Port yesterday noticed that the trucks have already taken double lanes from Mile 2 to Tin Can Port and from Funsho Williams Avenue to the Apapa port.
Our correspondent also noticed that some of the drivers have started defecating openly on the expressway as a result of their passing the night in their trucks.Chairman of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO); Chief Remi Ogungbemi had directed his members to withdraw their trucks from the port on Monday after the Lagos State Government restricted their movement to between 9pm to 6am.
Speaking with Shipping Position Daily on the strike, public relations officer of the Tin Can Island Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mr. Chris Osunkwo appealed to the government and the drivers that good reasoning should prevail.
Osunkwo however assured that the strike is not having any toll on activities at the port other than the fact that traders, importers and their clearing agents when they finished clearing their cargoes could not find trucks to carry them.
He said that the unruly attitude of the truck drivers needs to be nipped in the bud, because their attitude has led to the death of innocent Nigerians. He also lamented that the traffic gridlock caused by the trucks have over the years affected customs officers as well as other port users from getting to their work place early.
“I think there is every need that we should have some sanity in that sector because our experiences are better imagined than voiced out, the truck drivers have killed so many people, their nonchalant attitudes, they don't care about other road users, and each time government tries to bring sanity, you see them proving stubborn and threatening to go on strike, it is very unfair"
"It is not going to affect our operations because nobody is going to wait for them to come back to work before their goods are cleared, do one thing at a time, finish the clearance of your goods, when we get to that bridge of moving the cargoes out, we will cross it", he stated.
While praying that the port system will not be thrown into another round of port congestion, the Customs image maker described the strike by the truckers as an empty threat.
"Mr. Remi Ogungbemi, we appreciate his efforts, but if you work in this environment you will realise that these truck drivers do unprintable things, their attitude on the road is bad, they should be a little bit disciplined, if we continue like this, one day they will take over the government of this country" Osunkwo warned.
Also speaking on the issue, Vice Chairman, Tin Can Island Chapter of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Mr. Mustapha Aboki condemned the fact that the truckers use the port as a holding bay.
He said that most of the truck drivers do not usually have cargoes to carry, but that they choose to come and cue on the port access road with the hope of getting jobs from freight forwarders for them to go and load cargoes.
The NAGAFF chieftain however harped on the need for government to rehabilitate the roads leading in and out of the port, saying that this has been one of the biggest challenges facing port operators. He said that stakeholders will appreciate it if a genuine step is taken by government to sanitize the system.
While condemning the action of the truckers, Aboki said: "There is a time frame they are supposed to come in and pick cargo, if they adhere strictly to that, I think it will be good, most of them don't even have cargoes to carry, they will just come and cue on the road and wait to collect waiting order from a freight forwarder for them to go and load, they don't have anything doing inside the port"
"Without loading order, they should not come to the port, they don't have parking spaces too, they can be on the road for one week before they eventually get jobs" he said.
Also reacting, a source who pleaded anonymity called on the government to disregard any strike threat by the truckers.
He called on President Muhammadu Buhari to emulate former Head of States, General Sanni Abacha and totally ban truckers from the port.
Meanwhile, theLagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has directed the police in the state to start the enforcement of the relevant section of the traffic law, which restricted the movement of trucks and other long vehicles to between 9pm and 6am in the state.
The governor also ordered the police to tackle street trading, robbery in traffic and other security challenges in the state.
The state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, on Tuesday said the directives were the outcome of the monthly Security Council Meeting at the Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja, presided over by Ambode.
“The law as it relates to restriction of movement of trailers and articulated vehicles between the hours of 6am to 9pm will be enforced in a manner that will not impede commercial activities in the state.
“We should, however, not forget that Section 2(1) of the law exempts trucks conveying petroleum products and passenger vehicles.
“We shall ensure that truck drivers comply with the extant law and also ensure that the law on street trading is enforced; but we shall be doing so with human face.”
He said apart from enforcement, the governor urged sensitisation and public enlightenment as a strategy to dissuade members of the public from patronising street traders.http://shippingposition.com.ng/article/face%E2%80%93-lasg-truck-drivers-abandon-trailers-apapa-oshodi-expressway
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