Opeifa proffers solution to Apapa traffic congestion
- Tasks NPA, Shippers Council, others to show more commitment
By Adeyinka Aderibigbe
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Presidential Task Team (PTT) on the enforcement of discipline in Apapa, Comrade Kayode Opeifa has said only the total commitment of all stakeholders, (especially government agencies), enthronement of best practices and the introduction of e-call up system can bring the needed change to the traffic pattern in the Apapa Ports and access roads.
Opeifa, taking journalists round the wharf and the Tin Can Port areas yesterday, said while his team has succeeded in enthroning discipline and improving traffic situation in Apapa, only total commitment can sustain the gains and efforts of the PTT to bring sanity to the ports and access roads.
The PTT, headed by the Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo was set up by the President to clean the traffic gridlock and the attendant indiscipline that made the area inaccessible in May last year.
Opeifa who declared that the PTT has achieved the aim behind its establishment since October last year, said unlike before, traffic situation has greatly improved with truckers, and tankers who have genuine business to approach the port, accessing the ports within a week unlike the practice hitherto.
Addressing the traffic blues many truckers are passing through lately, Opeifa said the most troubled area remained the Tin Can axis, with the greatest challenge being the road project which is ongoing in the area. He wondered why terminal operators are not engaging their clients and customers rather than allowing them to storm the road thereby congesting the access roads the access to which are being controlled as a result of the ongoing repairs.
He said: “Regardless of the circumstances, at least there is no longer long queues of trailers along Mile 2 and the expressway, and they are also no longer on the Eko and Ijora bridges and adjoining roads.”
He said a lot of trucks which has no businesses are the ones messing up Apapa, adding that if the system developed by the PTT is sustained, the two ports should be able to process volume of trailers approaching it to transact official business.
“All the terminal operators combined has the capacity to attend to 1000 trailers and from what we see, the daily inflow of trailers approaching the ports is just slightly more than this daily, which means if the right thing is done, the ports have the capacity to address the issues that breeds traffic jams in the ports area,” Opeifa added.
He said besides the ongoing road repairs the Federal Ministry of Transport is already addressing the issue of bringing cargo train and barge services into the port, while the Ministry of Works is working on transit trailer parks to address the spill overs that often park on the road.
He said what obtains in Apapa right now is not traffic gridlock but traffic congestion, which continues to flow despite the several activities going on simultaneously at the ports.
“The PTT has been able to clear Apapa of the cartel profiteering from the confusion in the Apapa areas and the port. That is why we would continue to challenge anyone who still claims he gives anyone bribe to come out and name those who received it from them. We have removed the circumstances that makes bribes attractive,” Opeifa added.