The trucks are back and Lagos is on standstill as over 12,000 trucks choke and takeover the roads.
For almost a week and counting , the traffic situation has gotten worse as Lagos at standstill as over 12,337 tankers and container-laden trucks are at present illegally parked in different parts of Lagos.
The worst is the entire stretch of the dual carriage Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, inward Tin Can/Apapa which has been invaded and seized by over 5,000 articulated trucks.
Consequently, traffic on the ever-busy road has been totally paralysed with untold suffering for motorists, commuters and other road users.
over 12,337 number of trucks were counted by vanguard’s on the spot counting of illegally-parked trucks and tankers on roads and bridges within Apapa and environs, including far-flung places in Lagos.
The trucks are scattered all over Lagos in different locations . Giving figures the on the spot team counted
Number Of Trucks In Different Areas In Lagos State
- from Iyana Isolo to Tin Can, there are 3,200 trucks parked on the road;
- Ijora to Palmgrove, 3,485;
- from Marine Bridge to Ijora, 1850 and down the bridge, 1050;
- from Stadium to Eko Bridge, 874;
- from Costain—Stadium-Alaka—Fadeyi, 865;
- from Berger Suya to Kirikiri Road(New Road Bus stop, 678;
- from Wilmer Bridge to Awodiora (Ajegunle), 187;
- from Coker to Costain Bridge, 63.
- The entire Berger area has 671 of these articulated vehicles of which 210 are parked on the bridge.
Motorists, stranded commuters narrate ordeal By Our Reporters LAGOS — A choked-up section of the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, taken over by trucks.
Aftermath of the Gridlock
Meanwhile, the suffering of motorists and commuters continue as they are now being forced to use alternative routes which are few and far between.
Many residents especially those living in Festac Extension and Jakande estate in the Mile 2 are facing difficulties in movement as these trucks have now extended their long queues inside the residential areas.
Most of those heading to Mile2 and beyond have resorted to driving against the traffic with the attendant risks of accidents resulting in fatalities in some cases.
But with no better option, one-way driving as it is popularly known, appears to have come to stay.
Commuters too scared to board buses and motorcycles, aka Okada, plying the one-way route took to trekking long distances to get their destinations.
Robbery: Another unfortunate fallout of the trucks invasion was that it provided hoodlums the opportunity to attack stranded motorists and commuters.
In the Alakija axis of Lagos/Badagry Expressway and Satellite Town, many vehicles that are trapped in the attendant traffic gridlock had their windscreen shattered by the robbers. At the same time, many lost valuables to the traffic robbers.
Also, traders and residents in Satellite Town, now live in fear as a result of trucks and tankers that now occupy every available space.
Many traders have been forced to close shop while residents have since resigned to their fate.
When It Started
Invasion, seizure of Oshodi-Apapa Expressway The permanent shutdown of traffic on the expressway began on Monday July 16th 2018 when the articulated vehicles descended on the road in seeming vengeful fury, forming tight-parking queues that stretched all the way to Coker Bus stop, denying other motorists and road users going to Mile Two, Berger and beyond access to the road.
By Tuesday, it extended to Ilasa and got to Iyana Isolo yesterday. And with no official reaction to check the trend, many worried road users have expressed the fear that the siege of trucks was sure to get to Oshodi by today.
Major Cause of the Gridlock
The suspension of shipping companies by NPA’s is a major causeof this gridlock over the state holding down movement.
The unfortunate situation which seemingly reached its excruciating climax on Wednesday has been linked to the recent suspension for 10 days of four major shipping lines by the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA.
The companies which suspension which took effect from July 14, 2018, are Maersk, Cosco Shipping, APS and Lansal.
Although NPA had indicated that the suspension was part of efforts to resolve a protest by truck drivers at the Lagos Ports Complex and the Tin Can Island Port, Mr Isah Suwaid, Assistant General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications Division of NPA, had in a statement also informed that following investigations by the Authority, it was found that the four companies failed to fully comply with the directive to acquire and operate holding bays.
According to him, their shortcoming in this regard implied that they have either failed to utilize their holding bays or do not have adequate capacity to handle the volume of containers that they deal with.
He did not stop there.
“Some of these companies have also been found to import a larger number of containers than empty containers exported thereby, making the country a dumping ground for empties.
“This has contributed to the persistent congestion around the Lagos Port Complex and the Tin Can Island Port spreading to other parts of Lagos metropolis where truck drivers with no immediate business at the ports now park their trucks on the expressways.
“Stakeholders have agreed that while the call-up system through the ports management as advised by shipping companies will remain in force, personnel of the Nigerian Navy will discontinue the issuance of call ups, even though they will remain on the traffic management team.”
But rather than solve the problem, the NPA action has instead complicated it as the suspended companies had no choice but to unleash their horde of trucks on the expressway and surrounding roads, causing horrendous traffic congestion.
With NPA adamant and still threatening that the companies can only be permitted further use of the port area after review of the level of compliance to its directives and to determine further actions at the expiration of their 10-day suspension, the situation is likely to remain dire and may get worse as the days go by.
AMATO’s reaction
Reacting to the alarming gridlock of articulated vehicles on the Apapa-Oshodi expressway, the President of the Association of Maritime Transport Owners, AMATO, Chief Remi Ogungbemi blamed the development on the deplorable roads leading to the port, coupled with the closure of the Wharf bridge from Apapa to Ijora.
Ogungbemi also said the situation will remain the same for some time so as to allow for the repairs of the closed bridge.
The AMATO boss suggested that the only way out of the current quagmire is for the government to move away from the current analogue system of port operation and replace with a digital system.
He further explained that for 50 years since the ports were built, there has not been a corresponding expansion of infrastructure despite increase in population and businesses.
He said :
“The roads cannot accommodate the traffic of vehicles that call at the ports daily. We need to go digital. We need to move out of the current analogue stage we currently operate.We need to put in place a modern technology that will monitor and regulate the movement of trucks that enter and exit the ports.There is no way all the terminals can accommodate the numbers of trucks that call at the port at once.”
Speaking on the situation and the harrowing experience most motorists and commuters suffer, an NGO, Leadership Watch, said it could only happen because truck drivers believe they are untouchable since owners of the businesses are highly connected in government.
“They are untouchable and if you’re going to do anything you have to take permission from the powers that be in Abuja. I saw what happened Tuesday and Wednesday.
People trekked for hours to get to their places of business and other destinations because of that traffic gridlock on Oshodi-Apapa Expressway. I know Lagos State government is not happy about it, but there’s nothing they can do as things stand right now.
The situation can be reversed only if Abuja is interested in finding a solution to it,” he said.
“Though, the problem was created by the failure of the management of the Ports Authorities and depots, it is beyond our control but our responsibility is to ensure free movement of vehicular and human traffic. Let me assure you that plans are on to ensure sanity returns to the area,” he said.
Efforts to reach Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Ladi Lawanson, for comment was unsuccessful as he was unavailable at press time but a source in the ministry said efforts were on to address the situation.
”I can assure you that we are aware of the situation, the ministry is on top of the situation and will make comment at the appropriate time,” the source stated.