Major marketers, tanker owners and drivers have extolled the efforts of the Western Navy Command through the joint Security Task Force led by the FOC Western Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral SAG Abbah and the Commander of NNS Beecroft Commodore Okon Eyo for their timely intervention in clearing the Apapa traffic gridlock menace that had hitherto defied all efforts at remedy.
With the clearing of the traffic gridlock businesses are breathing a new sign of relief and commuters have been spared of mind-numbing traffic. Many played a role including the Petroleum Drivers Tankers Association (PTDA), Nigerian Association of Road Truck Owners (NARTO), Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), and the Major Oil marketers.
A visit to the area shows that the gridlock has been completely cleared on the highways leading into Apapa, leaving Western Avenue on the Surulere and Orile Iganmu axis as problem spots. Many of the trucks parked on the road are mainly container laden trucks causing traffic along the axis.
On how the marketers were able to comply, a top official of a major marketer in the area said they all made conscious efforts to ensure that their trucks are housed within the marshaling yard, their holding bay. He said: “That was simply what we did and with the cooperation of the union, the Petroleum Tankers Drivers Union, who also cooperated with us to ensure that their drivers also listened to us, with the trucks in the marshaling yards”.
He attributed the success to series of weekly meetings held amongst the stakeholders where the gridlock clearance was the major point of discussion. He further said there was engagement with the Nigerian Port Authority to contain the spill over.
The major marketers are seeking permission from the Navy commander to let their trucks move to the operators holding bay because as observed, the trucks being on the queue is not too good since their holding bay in the area can contain more than 400 trucks.
Another official of the major oil marketers said they will embrace the call card system introduced by the Naval authorities but want little adjustment to take care of some unforeseen occurrences especially as regards loading and delivering products around Apapa.
Responding, Commodore Okon Eyo, Commander, NNS Beecroft said the need to provide generic and humanitarian services to the citizenry as enshrined in the constitution was the motivation behind the interest of the Navy in clearing the gridlock that have become a logistic nightmare, a security risk and an environmental hazard to the area – crippling businesses and devaluing properties.
ISAAC ANYAOGU
