Worried by the persistent traffic congestion on roads leading to the nation’s seaports, port users have called on the Federal Government to open-up the trailer park located at the Second Gate axis of the Tin-Can Island Port for the shipping companies and truck owners to use.
According to them, Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transportation and the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola need to synergise and allow shipping companies begin to utilise the trailer park as a container holding bay to reduce the number of trucks and trailers queuing on the port roads.
BusinessDay understands that the building of the trailer park project, which has been within the purview of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, was initiated during the Goodluck Jonathan administration, and has since been delayed for several years without completion.
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Michael Imonitie Ovien, a maritime lawyer and clearing agent said that container holding bays owned by shipping companies are filled to the brim, making it difficult to get containers out for export.
Shipping companies and terminal operators, he said, do not have access to their containers to return them to the port due to the issue of bad roads around the ports.
“Currently, most exporting companies are finding it difficult to secure containers for export from shipping companies. This is why perishable goods get trapped at the port, making them to become already spoilt even before getting out of the country,” Ovien said.
Tony Anakebe, managing director of Gold-Link Investment Ltd, who affirmed the need to open the Tin-Can trailer park for use, said that the gridlock has worsen due to the increase in the volume of activities at the ports.
“The environment around Apapa port city is no longer conducive for seamless port operation. There is increasing volume at the ports but the man-hour lost on the roads by port users, container carrying trucks and operators, has been quiet disheartening,” he said.
