Lagos port to ban sub-standard trucks
AS part of its efforts to tackle congestions and enhance cargo delivery at the Lagos Port Complex (LPC), the management of the port has taken a bold step to ban all dilapidated and sub-standard trucks from using the Lagos Port Complex facility as from the beginning of next year.
The Port Manager, Mr Nasir Anas Mohammed, told the Nigerian Tribune, when he led his top management team to clean up the port environment as part of their Customers Service Week to mark their Customers 2013 Anniversay celebration, that the clean up exercise, which lasted for over three hours, was part of the 2013 Customers Service Week.
Also, he disclosed that the management of the Lagos Port was concerned about the irregular parking of trucks on the port access roads.
Muhammed, while assuring that the private operator will be involved in offering a lasting solution to the perennial problems, declared; “We are engaging some private partners who are going to bring in brand new trucks and they would operate a consolidated trucks management system whereby only these new trucks will have access to the port. This will also bring about peace of mind to shippers concerning their cargoes, and it will erase the issue of traffic gridlock that usually arises due to bad and rickety trucks plying our territorial waters.”
According to him, “our safety department has been discussing with the truck drivers on minimum safety standard of the type of trucks that should come into the ports. We want to make them see that it is equally for their own good”, he added even as he further explained that the new trucks would become operational within the next one year.
“We are trying to ensure that the various trucks associations come together and consolidate to form one or two or three strong consolidated holdings so that they can source those vehicles that are being provided by the private companies.
“Because when they consolidate, it will be easier for them to get loans or supports from other agencies of government which help them to dispose the rickety and old trucks they are currently using and the clean up exercise was part of the port corporate social responsibility and a way of giving back to the community.
“We are looking beyond just observing this event on an annual basis and we want to see how we can add value to the community we operate. The Apapa Local Government is very disposed towards this arrangement and they are really encouraging in observing this year’s programme together”.
Anniversary marking the Customer Services Week 2013 will last for one week with different programmes to mark the week.
Tokunbo Oloke - Lagos Tribune
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