Amidst extortion, laxity on the part of freight forwarders and the current all-present fear of the COVID-19 pandemic, truckers operating at the Lagos seaports have agreed to slash their haulage charges by 30 per cent during the period of lockdown.
The Deputy Director Public Relations, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Rakiya Zubairu who disclosed this in a statement in Lagos on Wednesday stated that this was part of the resolutions reached in a meeting between the Management of the NSC and the truckers in Lagos yesterday.
Zubairu noted that In the course of the one-hour meeting, the haulers brought to the attention of the Council the various problems confronting them ranging from extortion, laxity on the part of freight forwarders to the current all-present fear of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to her, “It was agreed at the meeting that truckers’ haulage rates be reviewed downwards by thirty percent during the lockdown period.
“The haulers agreed with the Council that the light road traffic makes their work easier.
“The management of the Council assured them that it would look into all their concerns with a view to finding lasting solutions for the benefit of all stakeholders.”
She further said that the meeting also discussed the imperative of adherence to health and safety guidelines by the truckers during this period of COVID-19 pandemic.
The Deputy Director pointed out that the Council observed that truckers were not taking specified precautions as issued by health authorities adding that they were reminded of their potential to spread the virus in the course of their travels across Nigeria.
“NSC management said the meeting was convened to discuss these twin issues”, she said.
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