Lagos has had enough of the persistent traffic gridlock in Apapa area which has now spilled over into some parts of the state, caused by tankers waiting to lift petroleum products.
The state government has therefore issued a 48-hour ultimatum to tanker drivers parked within 300 meters of fuel depots in the state to relocate to safe parking lots pending the availability of petroleum products
Commissioner for Transportation, Kayode Opeifa gave the ultimatum while reading the communiqué after a meeting between the Lagos State government, National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTD), National Association of Road Transport owners (NARTO) and other stakeholders.
The stakeholders’ meeting agreed to use persuasive enforcement to free roads and bridges currently occupied by petrol tankers and other trucks in an anticipated relief to the people.
Opeifa said the meeting had agreed that 48 hours should be given to tanker drivers queuing between 200 and 300 meters to the fuel depots to vacate pending availability of the commodity, as the information available from the marketers revealed that there was no fuel in the depots to be lifted.
Opeifa said the enforcement would be carried out by the state government, the police, Lagos State Transport Management Authority, LASTMA, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Vehicle Inspection Service, VIS, officials among others.
“Any tanker that did not comply will be impounded, fined and would not be released until such fines had been paid,” he said.
He appealed to NUPENG, PTD and NARTO to ensure that the agreement reached was not breached, saying that by Friday afternoon, government would begin enforcement.