Freight forwarders operating at the Lagos ports have lauded the effort of maritime truck owners for the efforts made to ensure that their trucks meet the required standard to engender smooth flow of cargoes and other commodities in and out of the port.
Some of the freight forwarders who spoke with Shipping Position Daily in Lagos last week expressed satisfaction with the condition of trucks that now come into the port to lift cargoes. The upgrade according to them can now be rated at 65% and this will only further reduce port congestion at the port.
Freight forwarders operating at the Lagos ports have lauded the effort of maritime truck owners for the efforts made to ensure that their trucks meet the required standard to engender smooth flow of cargoes and other commodities in and out of the port.
Some of the freight forwarders who spoke with Shipping Position Daily in Lagos last week expressed satisfaction with the condition of trucks that now come into the port to lift cargoes. The upgrade according to them can now be rated at 65% and this will only further reduce port congestion at the port.
Mr Frank Aliakor a member of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA)told our correspondent that before now, 85 % of trucks that come into the ports in Lagos are rickety and this usually pitch freight forwarders against their importers because of delay in cargo delivery.
He observed that most of the problems encountered by truckers are caused by the terminal operators who lack adequate infrastructures.
Aliakor noted that, ‘’five years ago, most of the trailers and trucks that are found in ports lifting containers are in bad shape, but I must tell you that today there has been a massive Improvement on their part and I must commend them for that because they also contribute to make our ports in Lagos improve as well’’.
‘’In terms of percentage, presently I must say that they have scored above 65% because it was not easy back then dealing with the kind of trucks they have on ground’’, he stated.
Aliakor however pointed out that there is still room for improvements, even as he encouraged other truckers who are yet to upgrade their trucks to do so in order to enhance port operations. He said that it is the collective responsibility of all the stakeholders to ensure the ports are effective.
In a similar reaction, Chief Alphonus Agu, a licensed customs agent, also commended the truck owners.
He called for government assistance for the truckers in order for them to be able to acquire new trucks.
The licensed customs agent also advised the government to wield the big stick on some of the government agencies at the port for allegedly extorting money from the truck drivers at entry points into the port.
‘’The trucks are not the problem, the problem we have in the ports in Lagos has to do with the lack of infrastructure by the terminal operators because it takes time to discharge the consignments from the ship, leading to delay in the terminals”.
“The agencies of the government are another problem because they extort the drivers a lot, so government should assist them by eliminating these agencies’’ he said.
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