By Gboyega Akinsanmi
A fortnight after it directed all articulated vehicles to stay away from the state, the Lagos State Government and 10 other stakeholders have agreed to a 14-point resolution to restore order and sanity to Apapa.
The stakeholders, which comprise the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Nigeria Police and terminal operators, among others, have resolved that all tankers, trailers and trucks should remain in truck terminals outside the state.
The decision was contained in a communiqué THISDAY obtained Wednesday after a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Apapa Local Government Secretariat to end perennial traffic congestion in Apapa Central Business District and its environs.
Specifically, the meeting was conveyed at the instance of the state governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, to work out a lasting solution to the perennial traffic congestion of truckers within Apapa district.
At a news conference a fortnight ago, the state government had ordered all trailers, trucks and oil tankers to stay off all roads within the state immediately after a week-long outright blockage of all access roads to Apapa and intractable gridlock resulting from it. Consequently, it directed the operatives of the State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and the State Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit among others to deny all articulated vehicles access to the state.
Details later…
