Commuters of the heavy traffic-ridden Oshod-Apapa expressway recently heaved a sigh of relieve as there is now free flow of traffic from Mile 2 all the way to the Apapa Port at Wharf. Stakeholders and operators of businesses in Apapa have equally commended efforts of the Lagos State Governor; Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode who had last year issued a matching order to tank farms owners, terminal operators and the various truck drivers unions to sit up or face sanctions.
When Shipping Position Daily visited petroleum tank farms at Ibru Jetty last week, the tanker drivers confirmed that the heavy traffic gridlock along the route has subsided because there was drop in loading activities at the tank farms.
The tanker drivers expressed divergent views; while some said that the respite may not last long once product is available it will trigger-in petroleum tankers from across the country. Others were of the opinion that the free access to the ports has come to stay because soldiers and policemen have been deployed to the area.
An executive of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG); Comrade Onward Onwundiwe told our correspondent that the level of importation of petroleum products has dropped at the depots and this was why Apapa is free of traffic.
Onwudiwe alleged that the traffic situation has subsided because Capital Oil, an NNPC designated tank farm is not having product at the moment. He alleged that the depot is the major cause of the traffic gridlock along the expressway.
“The place is free because product is not available. Again, NNPC depots, especially Capital Oil depot, is the mastermind of all the congestion, if you go to their park at Sanya Bus stop, you will find out that the place is filled up and others are coming to stay at the depot, immediately they hear there is product, all of them want to come out at once”
Another PTD official at Sahara Energy Unit, Mr. Wale Asiwaju attributed the respite in traffic to the fact that every tanker driver has decided to be compliant with a new driving code which was recently issued by LASTMA. He said that tanker drivers have now agreed to maintain a single lane along the expressway.
“There was a serious warning to everybody, especially from LASTMA, we had a meeting with them last Tuesday in Apapa, they told us about the new driving code and laws in Lagos and how they will deal with people that flout the code, that is why you see us maintaining a single lane”
“At the meeting, we also debated with the government that there is need for tank farms and port shipping terminals to have holding bays, when you say somebody should come from the North and all over the country to load products, most of the depots and port terminals don’t have truck parks”
“It is only in Nigeria that somebody will establish business without parking space”, he said.
Meanwhile, car dealers operating close to the tank farms in a recent chat with Shipping Position Daily, commended the Nigerian Police Force for the free flow of traffic, calling on the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State to sustain the tempo.
The dealers told our correspondent that some level of sanity has been restored on the expressway. One of them, Mr. Alphonsus Kalu urged the soldiers, Police and others controlling the traffic to sustain the tempo. Kalu maintained that the orderliness along the road has given rise to buyers patronizing the various auto markets where cars are sold.
According to him, the presence of the Commissioner of Police recently contributed to the sanity on the expressway.
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