The Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) has urged the Federal
Government to expedite action on construction of the truck transit park at the
Tin-Can Island Port (TCIP).
Government to expedite action on construction of the truck transit park at the
Tin-Can Island Port (TCIP).
The Chairman of AMATO, Chief Remi Ogungbemi, made the plea in an interview in
Lagos.
Ogungbemi said the transit park would work perfectly with the proposed
electronic call-up system to ensure that trucks no longer block the port access
roads.
“That terminal should serve as a transit park or a pre-entry park; is not
supposed to be a park where every `Dick and Harry’ will just come and park.
“By the time we start the call-up system, any truck that we have informed,
come, your turn is going to be in one hour or two hours’ time, start coming,
they would go there and wait.
“When they wait, may be they can be there for five minutes or 10 minutes or
highest, one hour, before we will now call them in.
“When they go, we will now call another batch from anywhere they are; it could
be from Trade Fair; it could be from different garages within Lagos metropolis
and I am sure that anywhere you are within this Lagos, if the road is free, you
can enter the port within one hour.
“This is the plan,’’ Ogungbemi said.
Ogungbemi said when effective, the system would be fool-proof, as only called
trucks would access the ports based on the data on the system.
He said the association was working hard and eager to commence the
electronic call-up system in order to be saved the losses and harsh work
environment which the drivers had been subjected to.
electronic call-up system in order to be saved the losses and harsh work
environment which the drivers had been subjected to.
Ogungbemi said a place had been secured at the Trade Fair Complex along Badagry
Expressway where trucks could stay and wait for their turn rather than hanging
around the ports.
