Barely two weeks that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), banned tricycles from operating at the Tin Can Island Port Complex, freight forwarder at the port, have called on the port authority to provide palliative measures to cushion their daily stress, even as they urged the authority to regulate activities of the tricycle operators rather than the outright ban placed on them.
The Freight forwarders lamented that since the ban on tricycle at the port, the process of clearing consignments has been difficult as a result of the lack of logistics within the port complex.
Barely two weeks that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), banned tricycles from operating at the Tin Can Island Port Complex, freight forwarder at the port, have called on the port authority to provide palliative measures to cushion their daily stress, even as they urged the authority to regulate activities of the tricycle operators rather than the outright ban placed on them.
The Freight forwarders lamented that since the ban on tricycle at the port, the process of clearing consignments has been difficult as a result of the lack of logistics within the port complex.
A cross section of the agents who were sighted yesterday by our correspondent, apparently stranded at the Tin Can port, stressed the need for the NPA to put in place an alternative means to replace the banned tricycles.
Deputy Chairman, Board Of Trustee (BOT) Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Alhaji Aare Sanni Shittu told Shipping Position Daily in Lagos yesterday that there is need for NPA to provide logistics for port users.
Shittu, a former President of ANLCA described the return of bike operators at the port as illegal; adding that before the ban, the authority ought to have created a means of conveying port users from one point to another within the port premises.
Even though he lauded the efforts of NPA in ensuring that Nigerian ports are compliant with the International Ships and Ports facility Security (ISPS) code, he demanded that ‘’I will go all out to ask the NPA what will be the palliative measures that will be put in place since the ban on tricycles?’’.
On his part, Olorogun Andrew Ugwi believes the ban the ban of tricycles is only temporary, according to him, the operators will resurface very soon at the port premises.
He noted that since there has been no alternative in place, NPA needs to consider operators in order for the smooth operation of business activities at the Tin Can Island port.
‘’Can the authority sacking the tricycle operators provide alternative for we the port users? If yes, when? We are suffering on the movement of persons from one place to the other’’.
‘’I should have suggested that they regulate the tricycle operators not the outright ban on them because they are useful in the industry and the ports are far apart, you don’t expect the agents or importers doing their clearing to trek from one point to another’’ he stated.
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