Operators of the electronic call-up of trucks into the ports, Truck Transit Park Limited said it has fully automated entry of trucks into Lagos ports.
The firm also acknowledged that its system had been compromised leading to issuance of fake e-tickets by truck drivers. “We have noted attempts by some to use forged tickets to enter the ports”, it said in a statement sighted by our correspondent last week.
Acknowledging that the new e-call up system has faced some hitches, TTP pleaded and said it was fixing the problems.
As part of the new measures, TTP in a message sent to our correspondent disclosed that it has fully automated entry into the ports.
“The entry barriers at Lagos Port Complex (LPC) are now fully automated. They do not recognize fake tickets and will deny entry to any truck whose booking is not valid, or who has not been properly checked into and out of a park and pre-gate, where applicable, before arriving at the port gate”, TTP said.
It added that, following the automation, “if a truck has a valid booking, but has not been electronically checked into and out of the park and/or pre-gate assigned to it, the port access barriers will not be activated for its entry”.
“The manual signing of tickets which some have complained about stops today. Henceforth, all parks, holding bays and pre-gates with handheld devices will no longer sign any tickets as a means of authentication for port access but will only tag in and tag out trucks that physically come into the facilities.Effectively, we will no longer use signatures to identify valid trucks approaching LPC gate (exception was made for fish trucks who left their pre-gate this early morning before this communication is published). The handheld device will be used to do this at the turning point of the port gates. Those not recognized by the system will be turned back there, those who are approved will proceed to the port gate barriers and we will use only the card readers/keypads to open the barriers for them”.
“Truckers are advised to cooperate with any turnback directive received after their tickets are rejected by the system. Anyone with a genuine concern about the validity of their booking should go back to the appropriate park and upon investigation and validation, we will refund them of their money to use to rebook”.
Insinuating attacks on its personnel, TTP expressed hope that security operatives will protect them. “We are confident that ethical law enforcement agents will support and protect our people at the port gate against harassment from the recalcitrant truckers and their collaborators”.
“Parks and pre-gate operators must generate tickets only for trucks that are in their facilities. Should they harass or circumvent the system/our staff in doing this, they will be blacklisted. Only when trucks are tagged into a park or pre-gate electronically will the booking revenue be recognized for that park/pre-gate”
The operators also advised that, “holding bay operators are to ensure the trucks coming to pick containers from their holding bays to ports are validly booked on Eto and their tickets checked in and out using the handheld devices”
It added that, “electronically tagging in and out of parks, pre-gates, holding bays and ports either using the keypads/card readers or handheld devices provided is a sure way to prevent multiple debits because the system recognizes that the truck is out of the facility through tag outs”.
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