Stakeholders operating at the various tank farms around the Ibafon axis on the Apapa-Oshodi expressway have said that petroleum vessels are now delayed from discharging their content at the tank farms because there is no space to accommodate the products.
The operators attributed the vessel delay to the perennial traffic congestion around the axis, a situation which according to them has reduced the number and rate at which trucks are loaded from the depots.
Stakeholders operating at the various tank farms around the Ibafon axis on the Apapa-Oshodi expressway have said that petroleum vessels are now delayed from discharging their content at the tank farms because there is no space to accommodate the products.
The operators attributed the vessel delay to the perennial traffic congestion around the axis, a situation which according to them has reduced the number and rate at which trucks are loaded from the depots.
In addition to putting the roads in shape, the operators have equally called on the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government to consider the construction of an overhead bridge along the axis in order to ease traffic.
A NUPENG executive at Ibeto Tank Farm; Comrade Chris Iyasere told Shipping Position Daily that there have been delay for vessels to berth and discharge at the various depots. He said that petroleum trucks loaded at the tank farms usually stay two days in the depot before they can find their way out.
Comrade Iyasere said that relocating the tank farms is not the best solution to the traffic problem, but that government should take immediate action to repair the roads temporarily or else Apapa would be completely cut-off from the rest of Lagos.
"The direct effect for now is that where we expect to have 20 vessels, because of the product in the tank farms that have not been evacuated as a result of the bad roads, there is delay of some vessels waiting to berth. When they fix the road, the number of trucks we are loading will increase"
"What we have been experiencing some few weeks back is that we load trucks and it takes two days to leave the depot, this is because containers fall on the bad roads, tankers will fall on tankers and the roads will be completely blocked" he lamented.
He reiterated that the relocation of tank farms or the reduction in the number of trucks loaded at the Lagos tank farms as suggested by the Federal Government is not the solution to the problem, rather, the only way out is to repair the road.
"If they have to relocate the tank farms, let them do the cost analysis, moving the tank farms or building an overhead bridge to divert trucks and cars, if an overhead bridge is constructed and tankers are passing down while cars pass on the bridge, then the problem is solved"
"But if they relocate the tank farms to any area, very soon, development will get to these areas too" he said.
Also speaking with our correspondent, a petroleum marketer, Mr. Fidel Aisodioune pointed out that the multiplier effect of what the roads have caused and is still going to cause if not quickly addressed is enormous.
He said that investors are being made to pay high demurrage on vessels queuing up at berth and that this is not good for investment.
"If a vessel comes in and the depot is not empty, such vessel cannot berth or discharge, this leads to the investor paying demurrage"
"Tank farm owners are investors, and as investors you will always want returns on your investment, if you cut the supply of products to the tank farms, you are indirectly asking them to start retrenching people, once they don't operate to their maximum capacity, then they cannot generate funds to sustain the size of labor they have"
"As we speak, the tank farms in this area directly engages over 5,000 people, while indirectly, over 10,000 are engaged, then if you follow the tree diagram, you will realize that over 10 million Nigerians depend on the Apapa-Coconut axis to sustain"
"The best option is for government to wake up to their responsibility", Fidel advised.
Discussion about this post