Hyacinth Chinweuba
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), has concluded plans to begin implementation of
Call-Up System for trucks entering the ports for goods delivery by August.
The authority said recently that the call-up-system would have taken off before now but for the need to protect the shoreline at the Tin Can Island port area.
General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communication, Engr. Adams Jatto stated that this measure will go a long way in addressing the traffic gridlock in Apapa.
Jatto said, “We have concluded the procurement process to be able to engage our investors to manage the truck park.
“So with this, I believe we should be able to have something on ground for people to be proud of.
“Call-up system is not just the areas we are looking at, for us to ease the congestion along ports access roads”
“It is a kind of temporary measure for us to ensure that we have a free flow on the axis that lead to the ports.
“The call-up system is for us to be able to have truck parks along ports area and some of the truck owners have assured us that they have truck parks, where they can park their trucks.
“A call-up system is to ensure that in each of the areas where there are truck parks, the trucks are there and when it is time for them to come to the ports, we have to adopt the call-up system to call them.
“On the basis of this, we will be able to streamline the trucks coming into the ports, to ease congestion”.
Jatto said the management of NPA led by Hadiza Bala Usman has always been desirous to address issues of the port access roads in Apapa, through sustainable road construction.
“A truck terminal park had been constructed at Tin-Can Island port, but the shoreline protection was not done.
“The Federal Ministry of Works had re-awarded the contract for completion.
”Our Managing Director, Ms Hadiza Bala-Usman had taken a bold step to ensure that the truck terminal will be managed by Public Private Partnership (PPP).
“That is where we are having real automation of call-up system.
“The management of NPA is working toward ensuring that Lillypond terminal is converted to a truck transit park for easy flow of traffic, along ports access road in Lagos”.
He said that with the construction of the Lagos Port Complex road under short term, the medium term plan would be to construct the Apapa Creek Road up to Tin-Can Island Port and Mile-2.
The road, he said, would be constructed from Mile 2 to Oworonsoki and the construction would be handled by the Federal Ministry of Works.