Some truckers on Tuesday in Lagos expressed happiness with the inauguration of the Lilypond Truck Transit Park, saying it will reduce cost, traffic and extortion on port roads.
One of the two parks designated for truck park to stem vehicular traffic was inaugurated on Friday by the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), while the one at second gate at Tin Can had yet to be put to use.
Speaking on the importance of the park, a chieftain of the truckers, Mr Abdullahi Inwa, said that relief had come the way of the truckers whom, he said, had been subjected to hardship for too long because of the gridlock on port roads.
“We are grateful to NPA for heeding our cry though long overdue.
“Many of our members have lost their lives while in the traffic out of exhaustion on steering while going to load or drop off empty containers at the ports.
“The coming of the much awaited park at this time will take away lot of pressure from us and other port users,” he said.
He appealed to NPA and the managers of the park to guard against subversive measures that could thwart the good intentions of the park.
A trucker, Mr Emeka Okoroafor, said that if the truck call up system could be maintained, there would be no more gridlock on port roads.
“We want to see NPA live up to expectations by ensuring that trucks without a call up tag do not come to the port. Then sanity will return,” he said.
Mr Jones Bibire, a driver, said that the quick inauguration of the Tin Can port gate park would complement the existing one and put a final stop to the hazels faced by port users in Lagos.
Meanwhile, stakeholders, including the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) and the Chartered Institutes if Logistics and Transport (CILT) have lauded the move saying it will address the perennial traffic gridlock lock in the area.
In a chat with our correspondent, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of NAGAFF, Mr. Stanley Ezenga, urged the government to allow the park to work.
"It is a welcomed development provided the government will allow it to work. You know when you talk about the NPA call up system. The reason the first one failed was when the truck owners said they have trucks parks, so instead of calling the trucks from the owners they will be calling the trucks from their own parks which we don't understand"
Ezenga reiterated the need for a proper management of the parks adding that it will go a long way to address the gridlock with the area.
Also, the Acting Director of CILT, Mr. Paul Ndibe said, although it is a step in the right direction, but the nearness of the park to the port is also another challenge.
"It is a step in the right direction but my worry is that it is also close to Apapa so access to Apapa will also be affected by the location of the trucks at Lillypond"
Ndibe also called on the NPA to engage the various terminal operators operating on proper use of the park.
Discussion about this post