NURTW joins traffic control team to tame  Apapa gridlock

Fresh indication has emerged that the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has decided to join the Presidential Task Force in controlling traffic gridlock besieging the Tin Can Island and Apapa ports.

Investigation carried out by Nigeriamaritime360.com correspondent at the port yesterday revealed that the union has deployed some fierce looking youths to control the traffic, the unit is known as ‘Community Policing’

The young men were usually seen putting on lemon colored reflective jackets and making efforts to ensure that container laden trucks do not obstruct movement of commercial busses on the expressway.

Supervisor of the Council of Maritime Transport Unions and Associations (COMTUA) Alhaji Innua Mohammed confirmed the development to our correspondent yesterday, saying that the  Presidential Task force in charge of the Apapa traffic is also aware of the new officials on the highway.

Innua attests to the fact that since the NURTW deployed its men to the Mile 2 Coconut axis of Apapa Oshodi expressway, there has been orderliness on the road.

He however assured that “It is not that COMTUA is no longer on ground, we are still on ground, but we are basically within the port area, and when we have assistance from other colleagues who can now come out to also help us in controlling the road, I don’t think it is bad”

“We as COMTUA are towards the port area to make sure that the area is free of congestion, but we are working together with the community policing”

“Sometimes when they need us they would call us, there are times that we do joint operation, we are communicating and their is no problems”

“The mile 2 area is now well coordinated, if a driver is now passing and sees the good work they are doing and decided to appreciate them, I don’t think this is too much”

“They are arms of the National Union just for commuters, they came around due to the logjam, and when they came and we saw that the road is much free for other road users, we see this as a welcome development, since they came, there has been orderliness”

Innua added that the Presidential Task Force are also there on the road monitoring activities of the group.

“They are for commuters, because of them, the road has been kept clean for commuters, commercial bus drivers can also use the road, unlike before when the road was congested” he said