LASTMA threatens sanctions against indiscriminate parking of trucks along port access roads

He said this on Tuesday during a courtesy visit of the
newly-inaugurated Lagos State Government Task Team on Restoration of Law and Order on Apapa Ports Access Roads
to the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) headquarters in Lagos.

Oduyoye who is a member of the team, said LASTMA would not hesitate to sanction any case of indiscriminate parking of trucks on port access roads.

He lamented the lack of regulation of truckers and truck ownership, pointing out that most trucks are second hand and unserviceable, saying minimum standards are required for truck drivers and trucks.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Task Team Mr. Toyin Fayinka called on the NSC to to support the team to achieve success in its new assignment.

Mr. Toyin Fayinka who is also the Special Assistant for Transportation to Governor Sanwo-olu, said the essence of the delegation’s  visit to NSC was to introduce the team to the Council, emphasising that the Committee could not succeed in its assignment without the support of the NSC, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and other agencies in the maritime sector.

Responding, the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mr. Hassan Bello, described the Apapa traffic situation as an international embarrassment.

The traffic in Apapa he said, is affecting the efficiency of the port.

He assured the Team that the Federal Ministry of Transportation has prioritized the solving of the Apapa traffic situation. Evidence of this he said is the on-the-spot assessment visit paid to the ports by the Minister, Rt. Hon Chibuike Amaechi, the Permanent Secretary Dr. Magdalene Ajani and other top officials of the Ministry to Apapa in December 2020.

He said the Implementation Committee on the Ministerial Directives to decongest traffic gridlock along the Port Access Roads and Lagos Maritime Logistics Ring would work in tandem with the Task Team as a permanent solution to the Apapa traffic problem will benefit all Nigerians by eliminating the distortions in prices of goods imported into Nigeria.