Fresh indications have emerged that the Truck Transit Park (TTP) project of the Federal Government being spearheaded by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council may be experiencing its first major challenge as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has insisted that only NNPC mega stations should be allowed to be located within the facilities.
The Federal Ministry of Transportation in collaboration with the Shippers' Council had last week in Abuja convened a National Summit on the establishment, management and operation of truck transit parks in Nigeria, even as it revealed plans to develop TTPs at Lokoja in Kogi State; Obollo-Affor in Enugu State; Ogere in Ogun State; Jebba in Kwara state and Port Novo Creek in Lagos State.
However, speaking with Shipping Position Daily, a source at the Shippers Council who pleaded anonymity expressed fears that the project might experience a major setback over the NNPC’s insistence on monopolizing construction of mega filling stations at all the TTP locations, a demand which the management of the Council is not ready to give in to.
He said that the demand by the NNPC is delaying the Council in going further in taking certain steps as regards actualization of the project. The source also revealed that the Council intends to engender competition among the various investors in the TTP project.
“The TTP is a laudable project, it’s just that we have some disagreement with the NNPC, they said that they want to bring their mega station into the TTP and they are insisting that nobody would come again and operate apart from them. So, supposing anything happens to them it then means there would no longer be petrol. We need to have competition. This is the only thing delaying us” he said.
The source also confirmed that the Council intends to invite as many investors as possible into the TTP project to construct hotels, film cinemas, fuel station, Mechanic workshops, shops, recreation centers, banking facilities, and training centers.
Others are Garage and parking slots, police stations, Safety officer and fire fighters, well designed road network within the parks, electricity and portable water supply and Medical facilities and Clinics.
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi last week said that high statistics of road accidents and loss of cargo occasioned by bad roads necessitated the idea behind the TTP summit tagged "Truck Transit Parks (TTP): Providing Critical Infrastructure for Trade and Transit in Nigeria" in Abuja.
Explaining why there is need for urgent development of TTP across states of the Federation, the Minister said environmental degradation is another negative impact of excessive usage of roads by heavy duty vehicles.
He however stated that the present administration is addressing the railways frontally through the construction of new standard Guage rail lines, refurbishing of coached and wagons for the long distance transportation of goods and commodities.
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