The Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMARTO) has said tasked the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to focus its attention on test-running it's Truck Transit Park (TTP) project in Lagos before taking it to other states across the country.
This is even as the association on Monday commissioned a food canteen at its Secretariat located at Creek road in Apapa for truck drivers and their motor boys. The canteen was commissioned by the Port Manager of Lagos Port Complex; Hajia Ali Ibrahim.
Speaking with Shipping Position Daily, Chairman of AMARTO, Chief Remi Ogungbemi said that the TTP project of the Shippers Council is commendable. He however said that "charity should begin from home"
According to him, Lagos remains the busiest part of the country with high concentration of trucks and petroleum tankers and this is where the Shippers Council ought to begin its TTP project.
Ogungbemi said the idea of TTP is laudable because it would reduce fatigue of the driver, it will also help improve professionalism in the logistics business.
"But charity they say, begins at home, the government agency championing that course, the Nigerian Shippers Council should first and foremost establish a truck transit park here in Lagos before talking about other states across the country. Lagos is where you see the trucks and the tankers coming at the same time, so more concentration should be in Lagos"
Speaking on the newly-commissioned food canteen, the AMARTO chairman lamented that a food canteen was recently commissioned inside the Lagos Port Complex, but that truck drivers and motor boys are restricted.
"We have told the caterer that the canteen is not for high class people alone, it is created for everybody, food is available for as low as N100. The idea is not to compete with NPA, the port is a security and restricted area where people cannot just be trooping in anyhow. Nigeria is signatory to ISPS code, the NPA canteen was created inside the port and the motor boys and truck drivers have no access, that is why we created this one to make it easier for them", he said.
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