FG Urged to Support Workshop to Address Traffic Congestion At Ports

Daily Independent (Lagos)

Andrew Airahuobhor

14 July 2011

Three organizations, Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), Ports Consultative Council (PCC) and Meeno CEO Partners has called on the Nigerian transport minister to give his support to a workshop being organized to address the perennial traffic congestion at the ports in Lagos.

The organizations said the workshop, aimed to sensitise all port operators, will hold in Lagos on Thursday, July 28. It said that the overall benefits of the workshop would enhance port operations and reduce the cost of doing business in the ports by consumers of shipping services

Meanwhile, AMATO is building a modern truck terminal at Ijora, Lagos to address the perennial problem of traffic congestion at both the Apapa and Tin-Can Island ports.

The theme of the workshop is: Logistics & Supply Chain Managements in Apapa and Tin-Can Island Ports: Challenges & Opportunities of a Modern Truck Terminal/Holding Bay in Lagos.

Representatives of the three organizations; Chris Orode, Principal Consultant Meeno CEO Partners; Kunle Folarin, chairman, PCC and Remi Ogungbemi, chairman AMATO jointly signed the letter addressed to the minister of transport, seeking assistance in all ramifications to make the workshop a huge success.

Orode said the terminal being built is within a short reach to the ports, adding that the workshop would address the major challenges of truck traffic within and outside the ports in Lagos.

Statistics from the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) indicates that ship traffic and cargo output of various characteristics including containerised, bulk (wet and liquid) cargoes as well as vehicles have increased in recent years.

“The estimated ship traffic to the ports were in excess of 3,000 calls a year, with cargo output estimated at about one million containers and 35 million tonnes of general cargo,” Orode said, adding that this was in addition to over 300,000 vehicular cargo units.

This volume of cargo and ship traffic has created a heavy demand for cargo movement which is predominantly serviced by trucks of various types and age.

Although the rail network rehabilitation is on course, however, the connectivity to the two ports is yet to be addressed, thereby compounding the need for truck services.

This situation has created serious challenges in both traffic management, safety, security of life and property and a demand for the regulation of the traffic created by the movement of the trucks.

Orode said the infrastructure necessary by way of access roads, truck terminals, holding bay within and outside the ports had become imperative. “Undoubtedly, this affects the efficient running of the cargo terminals by the operators, the utilisation of the berths by ships, with the consequences of congestion of the ports and adjoining roads, delays and avoidable cost to the terminal operators, shipping companies and cargo owners,” Orode said.

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