All was calm at the ports yesterday as the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) commenced enforcement of new minimum regulatory standards on trucks entering the sea ports.
Shipping Position Daily investigations however revealed that there were fewer trucks on the port access roads in Lagos yesterday, perhaps so as not to run foul of the new regulations.
Our correspondent gathered that top officials of the NPA were at the Lagos Ports Complex (LPC), yesterday morning on-the-spot inspection of vehicles willing to gain entrance into the ports.
All was calm at the ports yesterday as the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) commenced enforcement of new minimum regulatory standards on trucks entering the sea ports.
Shipping Position Daily investigations however revealed that there were fewer trucks on the port access roads in Lagos yesterday, perhaps so as not to run foul of the new regulations.
Our correspondent gathered that top officials of the NPA were at the Lagos Ports Complex (LPC), yesterday morning on-the-spot inspection of vehicles willing to gain entrance into the ports.
Secretary General, Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMARTO), Mr. Chiaka Nwaogu in a chat with our correspondent said that the new conditions by the NPA are tough, but hinted that truck owners are already complying.
Nwaogu however stated that the requirements by NPA might scare some of the truck owners off the road and that there is the need to consider some of the trucks that are yet to meet with the NPA's directives.
He noted that there is the need for the management of NPA to carry the truck owners along because according to him, truck operators need to assist the authority on how to carry out its operations.
The AMARTO scribe added that, "if management of NPA alone carry out these enforcement on trucks, it will lead to extortion and that is why we want them to carry us along"
"There are about 67 requirements by NPA and we have been able to meet up with 19 of them that we know are very necessary".
He further disclosed that there was mutual understanding between the maritime agency and the truckers during inspection of the vehicles that were about to access the Lagos Ports yesterday, saying that the presence of some top management of NPA brought about sanity on the access roads.
He also urged the NPA to monitor the situation on a daily basis for it to have a human face.
On his part, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of AMARTO Lagos port Chapter, Mr. Rotimi Stevens reiterated that for the NPA to succeed in its enforcement there is the need to fix the port access roads.
He however lauded the move NPA to ensure that trucks plying the ports access roads are of good standard.
Also speaking on the new directive, the Apapa Port Manager, Mr Anas Nasir, said that the strategy was necessitated by the truck owners association’s appeal to NPA to make the operational standards implementation a gradual process and also safeguard their business.
“We are going to adopt a gradual approach in enforcing the minimum standards for operational trucks at the port following the association’s appeal.
“Being the last quarter of the year there may be high demand for their services and if it may harm their business if a number of them cannot operate, ’’Nasir said.
The port manager, however, noted that adopting a mild approach for now did not mean safety standards would be compromised.
He stressed the need for truck drivers’ education on maintenance as part of the required standards.
“It will just be for a period to allow the drivers to key into the new agreement and requirement and it is hoped that they will take it seriously.
“If rickety trucks are not patronised by the agents, the truck owners would be forced to maintain the minimum standards.’’
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