The Chairman, Road Transport Employers’ Association (RTEAN), Tincan Island Chapter, Alhaji Isiaka Olalere has hailed the Nigerian Shippers’ Council over its planned consolidation of the trucking companies operating in the nation’s maritime industry.
Olaelere who was reacting to a statement credited to the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) also appreciated the move by the Council in collaboration with the World Bank to erect electronic gate at the nation’s seaports so as to operate a call up system for the truckers operating at the ports.
He recalled that the government had earlier proposed the consolidation of trucking companies nearly two years ago which he said would have not less than 50 trucks adding that if they had reduced the number of truck that would form a fleet to 5 or 6, it would be the best as two people can easily come together and have a fleet of six trucks..
He however lament the absence of truck terminal at the port saying that if they could have a befitting truck terminal as well as the call up system where people could easily come and book their trucks, in turn hand the driver so booked the documents that would enable him gain entry through the gate, it would be the good news of the year.
“But is that going to stop extortion at the port gates? Because what they told us before we started the truck registration and standardization exercise as conducted by the NPA last year, they promised that after issuing us with the stickers, they will introduce electronic gate. We have gotten the stickers, we started last year, we are going to renew it this year but let us see if they will install the electronic gate system. They are yet to erect the electronic gate system; the gate is still wide open both at Apapa and Tincan. I don’t know when they will be effective. Let us wait”, he said.
On Truck Transit Park (TTP) being proposed by the Council, the RTEAN Chairman maintained that the idea was no longer new as government had been on it for a while now even as he posited that they were yet to see how it works.
He said, “They were talking about call up system that is the trucks will be parked at the transit park and they will be calling the truckers according to their engagements. Yes! If we have a transit park, the system will be okay. We are not happy that our vehicles are being littered on the roads, it is because we don’t have a conducive area to park the trucks, that is why you see them there and most of the vehicles you see on the line are either going to load or going to drop empty containers. If we have a befitting area to park our trucks that will contain at least 3, 000 trucks at a time; you will not see any truck on the road”.
It will be recalled that the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Barr. Hassan Bello hinted of the plans to consolidate trucking companies to form a fleet of 5 or 6 vehicles for easy management and to construct a Truck Transit Park for the truckers to arrest indiscriminate parking of trucks on the highways.
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