Sanity, orderliness and free flow of traffic finally returned to the once-chaotic, Apapa –Oshodi expressway yesterday as the combined efforts of the Federal Government and the Lagos state Government to free the ever-busy expressway paid- off, even as the Sunday (May 7, 2012) midnight deadline that was given last week by the state Governor, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola expired.
Sanity, orderliness and free flow of traffic finally returned to the once-chaotic, Apapa –Oshodi expressway yesterday as the combined efforts of the Federal Government and the Lagos state Government to free the ever-busy expressway paid- off, even as the Sunday (May 7, 2012) midnight deadline that was given last week by the state Governor, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola expired.
Hopefully, users of the strategic highway can now heave a sigh of relief as the presidential Special Adviser on Monitoring and Performance, who also doubles as the chairman of the presidential monitoring committee on port reforms, Professor Sylvester Monye told journalist in Lagos yesterday that the collective effort of the Ministry of Transport, the Lagos State government and the Coordinating Minister of the economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala made it possible.
Monye who led members of his committee on an assessment visit to the expressway, from Mile two to Apapa yesterday, described the Apapa- Oshodi expressway traffic congestion as a man-made problem which has been a major challenge to road users and the government as well, adding that hence forth any vehicles parked indiscriminately on the road will be crushed.
According to him structures have already been put in place to ensure sustainability, adding that this was made possible with the cooperation of the Lagos state government to replicate what was obtainable at the once-chaotic Oshodi.
‘’For the first we have gotten a site to crush vehicles that will be towed away, in other words, they won’t be a site where people will go and say that they tow vehicles, let me prepare to collect it next month because that vehicle has been lost and I think most people wouldn’t want to lose their vehicles’’, he stressed.
‘’If you do not want to lose your truck don’t leave it on the road ,trucks are not supposed to be on the roads rather to carry cargoes out of the ports and leaving it on the roads is not suitable’’
According to him the Lagos state government has provided the site where the impounded vehicles will be crushed and also will manage that site for the sustainability.
He added that the Committee is also considering the clearance of goods at night, just as it is working out the modalities with the shipping firms and terminal operators.
Monye lamented that the operations of these tanker drivers have denied other Nigerians the use the road, stating however that every Nigerian has the right to the use of the road.
He explained that before the road was finally cleared of tankers and other vehicles, the Committee had met with several stakeholders in the maritime industry some of which includes ship owners, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Customs Terminal operators, Lagos State Government and the truck owners and drivers.
“We have been meeting and discussing with stakeholders, we have been able to clear the road without any force. Any tanker owner that does business in Apapa should provide parking space for his or her vehicle outside the port access road.
“If they decide to go on strike, it is their business, they cannot hold other road users to ransom because they are doing their businesses, everybody has a right to the road and we do not want to condone any indiscipline.
Prof Monye further explained that President Goodluck Jonathan wanted to critically look at the way businesses are conducted at the ports adding that the Presidency also wanted to create an enabling environment for the quick clearance of goods from the ports.
He stated that one major obstacle to the quick clearance of goods from the ports was the state of the roads noting that that impediments on the road were man-made
The Committee's chairman also disclosed that the leader of the team that cleared Oshodi is also a member of the group that cleared the Apapa- Oshodi expressway.
He stated that the Lagos State Government has provided its traffic management agency to monitor the road on a 24 hour basis.
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