At the peak of their unruly behaviour, the Lagos State Governor; Babajide Sanwo-Olu gave tanker drivers who had turned the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, an ultimatum to vacate the ever-busy expressway. But they failed to heed the directive.
Despite the ultimatum which was aimed at addressing the problem of indiscriminate parking along major roads, the situation around the Mile 2 axis on the Apapa – Oshodi remained. The tankers continued to line-up from Mile 2 to the Coconut end of the Tin Can Island port on the expressway.
Surprisingly, each time the attention of the leadership of the tanker drivers’ union was called to the menace that their members had become, they denied allegations that tanker drivers are responsible for the road blockage.
It has been confirmed by the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) that more than 1000 oil tankers visit the 60 tank farms that are in Apapa and environs due to Federal Government inability to provide fuel at strategic places across the country.
The union said that the collapse of other petroleum products loading bays in the country has led to the large number of oil tankers seen in Apapa where most of the tank farms are located.
In practical terms, this explains why there is a gridlock on the expressway, and the impediment that this has caused for many years.
The position of the tanker drivers was also followed by the Executive Secretary of the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO); who are the owners of the tankers, Mr. Aloga Ogbodo, who however acknowledged that tanker trucks were not supposed to park on highways or flyovers in Lagos State. He clarified that these roads and bridges were designed for transit vehicles and not stationary ones.
Perhaps, giving vent to why the tankers had refused to vacate the Apapa-Oshodi expressway, Aloga stressed that if the government mandated the removal of tanker trucks from Lagos highways, it could result in fuel scarcity in the country. He explained that the truck drivers were not at fault but were operating in response to the prevailing circumstances
It is gladdening however to note that, the tankers have given way on the main carriageway, making it possible for motorists and port users to have a thoroughfare from Oshodi to Apapa and back. This has no been possible for more than 10 years.
Credit for this feat goes to both the Lagos state government and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). They collaborated to remove the tankers from the road, and this ended the menace that pervaded the expressywa for several years.
But not long ago, it was discovered that the queue that is formed by the tankers have stretched as far as Iyana Isolo, from the tank farms at Coconut bus stop.
This latest discovery has also made stakeholders to advocate a more scientific method of organizing and controlling the tankers.
It is noteworthy that some have specifically called for the use of an efficient call-up system for tankers while emphasizing the importance of round-the-clock traffic operations to prevent chaos after working hours.
When the e-call up system was introduced by the NPA sometimes in 2021, it was novel. It was expected to tackle all problems associated with haulage of dry cargoes. At first, it worked perfectly until the Nigerian factors crept in. The process became compromised and abused.
The challenges that are currently being faced on account of the electronic call-up system does not invalidate the fact that it is still the best option for orderliness in the haulage.
We strongly believe that, for decency to reign in the management of trucking and movement of articulated vehicles in and around Apapa and indeed the whole of Lagos, there is need to embrace digitalization of such operations.
The final solution to the menace of tankers in Apapa, will require a combination of factors. One is that government and relevant agencies should ensure that all tank farms that are located along the Tincan Mile 2 port access road corridor should be made to provide adequate holding bays within their terminals.
Ultimately, there must be a deliberate policy on the part of the Federal Government to relocate the tank farms from where they are now.
While these long term measures are being worked on, the electronic call up system should be fine-tuned,
