By Francis Ogwo
The heavy vehicular gridlock usually hindering activities at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos would soon become a thing of the past as the Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi has revealed that the issue is being tackled.
Amaechi made the disclosure on Friday during an inspection in the Port in the company of the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Transportation, Magdalene Ajani, MD, Nigeria Ports Authority, Hadiza Bala Usman and the Executive Secretary Nigerian Shippers Council, Hassan Bello
Amaechi said: “Give us one week to evaluate the problem and come up with a better solution.”
On the gridlock situation, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Transportation, Magdalene Ajani noted that the Electronic call up that is been designed, will not only address the gridlock but also regulate the movement of trucks into the port on call up basis.
“We all went there and as you can see that it’s on a complete lockdown, people cant go in or come in. the whole of that road is completely lockdown, we have to go into a meeting now to see how best we can sort that out now.
“And hopefully with the discussion that is ongoing. Nigerian ports authority is relying on the electronic call-up and the ministry of works truck park that is just by Tin Can there and the one Lagos State government park” Ajani reiterated.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers Council Hassan Bello said that all hands are on desk With the Minister of Transportation, in finding a lasting solution to the gridlock problem which has been a threat to ease of operations.
“We are looking at the solution every day, and the time has come, we are working on the possible ways to ease traffic, this is December and a lot of cars will be on the road, so I think the solution is aid those in cargo to have a hinge free activities within this period,” Hassan said.
The MD Nigeria Ports authority , Hadiza Bala Usman , also added her views stating that an E-commerce system to serve as a communication system for the Port , is been designed and will be ready in 2021 , the communication system will reduce traffic on the road .
“We are planning to deploy an e commerce system in 2021 which will provide electronic communication at designated truck park, to ease truck parking on the road so hence forth the e commerce system will come like an app where you download it on your phone and communicate easily when your truck has arrived. You can use it to know when a truck has been assigned to you.
“This will be in partnership with the Lagos Government, the Lagos state government are providing a large truck parking in Orile where we field them information on truck accessing port, the trucks will come in either Tin can Ireland and only go when the cargo is ready. The e commerce will also reduce human intervention; several layers of personnel across Nigerian security, Nigerian police force and all the other officers tend to engage in corrupt practices by collecting money, so this E call up will remove human intervention. That way a contravene will have no business with any bribe activity.
“All you have to do is on your phone which you will scan at the entrance of the gate before they enable you move in. in the mean time we are going to make sure that the port acesss is going to be stream lined for cargo that are coming in this xmas period so that we can push as much as possible in partnership with PPA in Lagos” Hadiza stated.
Recall that industry stakeholders have over the years lamented that the gridlock at the axis has been a threat to ease of doing business as time input in and out of the port has been a problem.
