A coalition of truck operators, under the auspices of Joint Council of Seaport Truckers (JCOST), has blamed the bad state of Nigerian roads and terminal operators for incessant falling of trucks on the highway.
According to JCOST, which is a fusion of Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Truck Terminal Users Association, Truck Drivers Unit (TDU) of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), government has failed to play its own role by not providing good roads for trucks to move.
Remi Ogungbemi, chairman of AMATO, said in a recent joint meeting of the association that the recent container that fell at Ojuelegba could be as a result of the state of the bridge, owing to the fact that the bridge was tilted and could had caused the falling of the container.
According to him, some terminal operators do not have necessary equipment for loading of containers on truck at the ports that is also why containers fall frequently.
“The terminal operators too have not been doing enough in the area of providing necessary equipment to make sure that trucks are well loaded and to even certify trucks suitable for carrying certain weight of goods,” he complained.
The coalition, which said it regretted the rate at which the trucks were falling, said it had already started looking inwards to put up modalities to checkmate members compliance to regulations and policies put in place by authorities to ensure safety of lives and property.
Kayode Odunowo, chairman of JCOST, said members had decided to withdraw their services because the Lagos State directive would expose their members to dangers, and would also not be comfortable for them to load their trucks at night.
