NPA promises smooth implementation of electronic call-up system

As the nation’s port industry awaits the takeoff of the proposed truck electronic call-up system which would be deployed by month end by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to eliminate human interference in management of truck traffic, the authority has assured port users of smooth implementation of the system.

Hadiza Bala Usman, managing director of the NPA, said that issues like indiscriminate parking of trucks on port access roads and bridges, and extortion of truckers to gain access to the port, would soon be in the past, according to a recent statement by Ibrahim Nasiru, assistant general manager, Corporate & Strategic Communications of NPA.

Regulating truck traffic would help to save the country about N140 billion weekly economic loss to man-hour loss, cost associated with delay in cargo clearance such as payment of demurrage and storage charges to shipping companies and terminal operators, as well as running cost of ships due to congestion at port terminals.

In addition, payment of between N70,000 and N200,000 per truck as gratification to officials involved in manual control of truck traffic around Apapa in order to get access into the port, would be eliminated.

Usman gave the assurance after leading a stakeholders’ facility assessment audit of the Truck Transit Park (TTP) at Lilypond, Ijora – Lagos. This was to ascertain the degree of preparedness by the park towards the formal take off of the e-call up system later in the month.

She said the truck electronic call-up system which is being powered by a web application called ‘Eto’, would put an end to the perennial logjam caused by articulated trucks within the port corridor.

“It is critical we put an end to the intractable Apapa traffic to restore sanity to cargo operations at our ports in Lagos. The web application (Eto) will enthrone transparency, orderliness to truck movement as scheduling would be done automatically – on first come, first serve, basis,” he said.

She however commended Truck Transit Park Ltd for the renovations carried out at the Lilypond Truck Transit Park facility.

On their part, management of the Truck Transit Park Ltd led by Temidayo Adeboye, chief operating officer, assured truck owners and drivers, of quality service delivery at the facility.

He further demonstrated how the Eto App would function.

The NPA Management had earlier solicited the co-operation of stakeholders on the roll out of Eto App, designed to complement the drive for a business friendly and secured environment for port business in Nigeria.