Apapa gridlock: Presidential Task Force issues operational guidelines

BY: Justice Godfry

The Presidential Task Force on the Restoration of Law and Order in Apapa Ports Area, in Lagos, has unveiled its operational guidelines.

The guidelines as contained in a paper made available to stakeholders at a meeting held in Lagos, recently, stipulates continuous stakeholders’ engagement as one of the critical strategies.

Others are the deployment of effective and efficient traffic management system for the control of cargo and fuel distributions and business district traffic within the entire Port Area, the use of Dedicated Truck Parks at NPA Lilypond Terminal as temporary holding bays and the deployment of a revised effective Empty Container Return Management Policy.

Additionally, the provision and strict adherence to a newly developed NPA Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) on Port Truck Clearance Procedures incorporating the temporary Manual Call-Up System for Empty Containers, Export containers and other port truck operations and vehicular movements are included in the operational guidelines.

The Vice-Chairman of the Force on Restoration of Law and Order in Apapa, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, has called on stakeholders to comply with the new directives.

He expressed the Task Force’s readiness to punish any truck driver that violates the Order.

The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Mr. Hassan Bello, in his keynote address explained that the Federal Government was aware of the perennial traffic problems and has commenced moves to establish Truck Transit Parks (TTPs) for drivers and other motorists.

Bello was represented by the head of the Consumers Affairs Department of the Council, Chief Cajetah .C Agu.