NPA Boss Blames Lagos Govt For Trucks Causing Gridlock In Apapa
The Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman has called on Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwi-Olu, to relocate truck parks in Apapa.
Bala Usman made this call while speaking at a session of the 14th annual business law conference which held virtually on Friday.
She said to decongest Apapa roads for free movement of goods and persons the provision of large truck parks at designated places outside the Apapa area is what is needed.
“There is a need to have designated places for the trucks to stay and wait for a call-up. If we don’t have designated places, the trucks will wake up and drive to the ports.
“So Lagos State government must take ownership in providing designated truck terminals where they will be a linkage and call-up with the terminal operators and Nigerian ports. But when we have 36 number of truck locations all around the Apapa ports environment things cannot work smoothly.
” We shouldn’t have many truck parks. We should have larger truck parks that are outside the ports environment.
“Why should you have a truck park inside Apapa area. Lagos state should review the land use charge attributable to trailer parks. There are some locations in Apapa, why should you build truck parks there? No, that place is too congested already. They should push it out of the town”, Bala Usman noted.
The NPA MD said there is an ongoing discussion with the Lagos state government to provide larger trailer parks out side Apapa area, adding that, that would be the solution to the current gridlock on Apapa roads.
