Lekki Port stakeholders decry worsening traffic congestion

Stakeholders along the Lekki Deep Seaport axis have lamented that port operations at the deep seaport are gradually being disrupted by worsening traffic congestion, blaming the Lagos State Government for failing to effectively enforce traffic rules and regulations along the axis, which continues to impede the movement of trucks and other port-bound vehicles.

This was contained in a statement. They added that the situation has raised concerns among stakeholders, who fear that prolonged traffic gridlock could further hamper cargo evacuation and negatively impact port operations.

While highlighting that the deployment of an electronic call-up system to regulate the movement of trucks into and out of the port areas was already operational, these stakeholders, however, emphasised that the failure of the Lagos State Government to ensure that truckers use designated truck parks for proper traffic management before being called up to access the port for cargo evacuation has remained a major challenge.

“Already, investors in truck park facilities are beginning to count their losses as the poor patronage of the parks erodes confidence in the investment environment, despite assurances from the Lagos State Government,” the statement read in part.

Reacting to the development, Managing Director of Lekki World and a major stakeholder in the port axis, Mr Adeola Olusodo, admitted that efforts were ongoing to address the situation and restore smooth traffic flow.

“We do not regulate traffic. The Lagos State Government, through its agency, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, is responsible for ensuring that truck movements are properly regulated along the port corridor,” he said.

A trucker, Cyril Jonah of Jancy Truck Park, said the parks were facing challenges because most truck drivers secured their call-up tickets before arriving at the port.

Another park operator, Mr Shile Oloto, Managing Director of Admoore Park, disclosed that bank loans had been invested in the park over the past three years without any corresponding return on investment.

Oloto attributed the situation to the failure of the Lagos State Government to effectively enforce traffic regulations, which he said had contributed to the underutilisation of accredited truck parks in the axis.

Also commenting on the situation, the Port Manager, Nigerian Ports Authority, Lekki Port, Mr Emmanuel Anda, attributed the poor enforcement of traffic regulations along the corridor to the non-involvement of the NPA in the formulation of the truck call-up system.

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Anda disclosed that there had been instances where both sides of the road were completely blocked by tankers and container trucks due to enforcement failures, further worsening traffic congestion along the corridor.

He explained that the unregulated movement of trucks had also resulted in multiple fatal road accidents, warning that more lives could be lost if the situation was allowed to continue unchecked.

Anda further explained that the high volume of activities within the Lekki Free Trade Zone requires an efficient traffic management system to ensure the smooth and uninterrupted flow of vehicular movement along the corridor.

In his reaction, the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Seun Osiyemi, acknowledged the gridlock along the Lekki Port corridor but said the situation was not permanent.

Osiyemi explained that the congestion was often triggered by rumours of impending increases in the prices of petroleum products, prompting truck drivers to rush to the port to evacuate products before any hike took effect.

He added that the government was committed to enforcing traffic regulations while ensuring that such measures did not unnecessarily disrupt business activities.

Osiyemi said: “We cannot enforce regulations by force, so as not to trigger any form of protest. We understand that sometimes there is a rush to the port to load products due to rumours of a price hike, and in such cases, we deploy trucks to designated parks to ease vehicular movement along the corridor.”

The statement added that a detachment of the Federal Road Safety Corps was seen patrolling the coastal road leading to the port and refinery, in a bid to ensure the free flow of vehicular traffic.Meanwhile, TRINUNE reported on Tuesday that the Lagos State Government said it was set to intensify its enforcement efforts along the Apapa and Lekki Port corridors following recent feedback and an assessment of the traffic situation in the two areas.

At a strategy meeting at the Ministry of Transportation, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Hon. Sola Giwa, who also chaired the meeting, disclosed that gaps had been identified in the current enforcement process, necessitating a rejig of the strategy.

He said the Ministry would deploy more traffic management personnel to the Lekki Port corridor to strengthen truckers’ compliance with the E-Call-Up system and ensure the seamless movement of articulated trucks in and out of the ports.