Operators of the Lillypond Truck Transit Park (TTP) have shifted responsibility for the detection of fake electronic call-up tickets with trucks approaching the ports, to government agencies.
Speaking to our correspondent over the weekend about the fake tickets, the Co- founder of the TTP, Jama Onwubuariri explained that the issue of non-compliance should be the responsibility of the government.
Last week, the Lagos State Special Traffic Management Enforcement Team, said it uncovered a scandal involving counterfeiting of e- call up tickets by truckers.
Reacting to this, Onwubuariri said, “Enforcement is the responsibility of government any report of non-compliance should go to the government and I believe that government will attend to it. I also want to believe that government is taking steps to ensure that those who are not complying are appropriately dealt with in accordance to the law, so I wouldn’t know what the government is doing as regards this” he said. Onwubuariri also confirmed that work is still ongoing at the TTP Park and will be fully completed soonest.
However, speaking to our correspondent, Alhaji, Abdullahi Inuwa noted that there is need for the owners of the TTP and NPA to device a mechanism that will check whether the e-call up ticket generated its fake or not, informing that it is the responsibility of both the operators and NPA to detect fake e-call up tickets.
He also stated that illiteracy on the part of the drivers is one major reason anyone will issue fake e- call up to drivers thinking that it will not be detected.
He said: “The introduction (of e-call up) is a welcome development, and everyone is praising them for that, on some of the flaws, it is expected, you know many of them (drivers)are illiterates and that is why anyone can issue a fake e-call up and they will take it, believing maybe it’s even genuine”.
On who has responsibility to ensure the integrity of the e tickets, Inuwa said, “I think the NPA in collaboration with the TTP should put in place a mechanism that will check these tickets. I want to believe those who discovered this are proactive and that was why they could easily detect it, so they should keep it up, however there is need for TTP and NPA to work together as regards this, in other not to allow some people abuse this beautiful initiative”.
“On our part, we have called the attention of our drivers not to join the bad eggs, and we are trying to see how we can coordinate them via a single window so that our members will not fall victim to those issuing these fake tickets” he said.
On his part, the Chairman of Association of Maritime Trucks Owner (AMATO), Chief Remi Ogungbemi, said that truckers are finding it difficult to key into the NPA e-call up, stating that the app is too technical for some truckers and it would have to take some time before many get used to the new system of truck call-up at the ports.
“The technicality associated with downloading the app, and registering on it is the reason some trucks are still on the port access roads. You know many of these truckers are not using android phones before now. Some that are not too conversant with many of the functions. I can pin this down to the level of illiteracy, but I know with time, our members will understand the Eto app more and key into the e-call-up scheme.
‘All I will just say for now is that we need time to adjust to this new system. Towing trucks away from the ports access roads won’t address the issue at hand”, he maintained.
The AMATO Chairman also explained that even though he is in total support of the NPA e-call-up system, it is not devoid of its lapses and shortcomings.
“The Eto call-up system is definitely the way to go, but it has its own shortcomings and lapses. I won’t discuss them now, so that people don’t tag me as being anti-development,” he said.
