*Set to consult NADDC
Vincent Toritseju
23 August 2017, Sweetcrude, Lagos — THE Nigerian Shippers’ Council, NSC, in a bid to reform the transport sub sector of the economy has commenced moves to get rid of rickety trucks operating in the maritime industry after construction of the ports access roads.
The council has equally indicated an interest to synergise with the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) to assist truck operators to procure new fleets at single digit interest rate.
Speaking while receiving members of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) who paid a working visit to the agency at the Corporate Headquarters of the Council, the Executive Secretary of the Council, Barrister Hassan Bello maintained that sanity on the ports access roads must be adhered to by operators in line with the port reforms.
Bello said that re-fleeting of trucks would further authenticate genuine operators in the maritime industry, adding that the era of one man truck business was gone.
Stressing the need for truck owners to establish a transport company that would further certify their operations, Bello disclosed that the Council and NAC would hold a meeting with the transporters on the best way to go about the re-fleeting process.
According to him, the Council would consult with the National Automotive Council, NAC, to ensure that rickety trucks go extinct from the access roads linking the seaports.
Bello assured the truck owners group that the Council would partner with the association to ensure that the reforms on the transport system was achieved.
“The most important thing is that one must be ready for this reform and we need to re-fleet the vehicles doing business in our ports at a very cheap rate”
“But one thing again is that after re-fleeting the vehicles and the roads are bad that means we have not done anything”
“It would be wise for the roads to be fixed before the re-fleeting process,”he said.
Speaking earlier, the President of AMATO, Chief Remi Ogungbemi said his association was a core logistics operator, adding that the association has discovered a new site within the Mile2 axis which can be converted as holding bay for truck.
Though, the AMATO president declined to disclosed the particular location he noted that the site could accommodate trucks operating within the two seaports in Lagos.
He recalled the council’s timely intervention during the withdrawal of services by agents and truckers adding that the Council has been proactive in issues affecting port operations.
He said the location can accommodate 1500 trucks and the owner of the property has shown interest for outright sales.