Presidential Task force on port roads decongestion has concluded plans to compel shipping companies in Nigeria to pay fees to truck owners over any delay arising from their failure to take delivery of returned empty containers to their terminals.
Among the decisions taken by the committee in Lagos on Monday is that broken down trucks on the highway leading to traffic gridlock shall attract a fine of N500,000 payable to Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA).
All the policy decisions taken at the meeting which included that truck owners should desist from parking their trucks on the roads whike documentation is not completed would take effect from Monday, 24th September, 2018.
The committee also concluded that broken down trucks along the roads would cough out a whooping five hundred thousand to the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA), after which it has been evacuated and taken to a detention bay.
The committee headed by the commander NNS Beecroft, Apapa, Commodore Edet Okon Eyo arrived at the decision as a means of decongesting the port access roads, saying stern decisions must be taken to avoid breakdown of orders.
Eyo said “If your vehicle break down on the roads, be ready to pay N500,000 before thinking of picking it for repairs.
“Broken down vehicles can be taken to Kirikiri, National Theatre and other places and your vehicles will be evacuated to the nearest detention facility. LASTMA will be charging a minimum of N500,000 from defaulters,” he submitted.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Apapa Local Government Area, Adele Elijah Owolabi stated that truck drivers and owners should henceforth not be made to pay for costs which do not emanate due to their faults.
He however called on truck drivers to henceforth make reports to his office and the commander of NNS Beecroft so as to enforce the payment of demurrage on erring shipping agencies.
His words, “Take the pictures of your trucks once you have brought it to where is designated for you to take it to, send it to Commodore and send it to me
“If they hold you for two days, we will charge the respectable shipping company because nobody can do this in their countries. The system has to change. It is a must,”he fumed.
“Please buy good phones for these drivers. I am going to tell the Vice President, I am going to tell the governor. I just need pictorial evidences.