25 July 2014, Lagos – Truck operators have returned to work at Nigeria’s premier port, Apapa Quay. The truck owners had abandoned work following the lingering gridlock into and out of Apapa in the last one month.
The resumption of work was sequel to a meeting APM Terminals Apapa Limited, one of the concessionaires in the nation’s seaports, had with the truck owners.
The meeting addressed the challenges they encounter in accessing the port as a result of the gridlock being experienced in Apapa. The situation was attributed to the worsening road conditions leading into and out of Apapa.
Confirming the development, the Media Adviser to the concessionaire, Mr. Bolaji Akinola, quoted the Chief Commercial Officer of APM Terminals Apapa Limited, Mr. Neil Fletcher, as saying that trucking operations have resumed at the ports after the meeting with the operators who had suspended work because of the challenges they face on the road.
He quoted Fletcher saying that APM Terminals Apapa delivered out record volumes of containers in the past two months.
According to him, 35,124 import containers were delivered out in May and June which represents the largest volume delivered in two months in the history of the terminal. The large delivery volume is as a result of huge investment in plants and modern container handling equipment.
His words: “At present, we operate with 22 rubber tyre gantry (RTGs) cranes, 17 reach stackers and empty container handlers and 75 terminal trucks. This is unmatched in any other terminal and is sufficient for our level of operation.”
He disclosed that truck turnaround times at the terminal have reduced from one hour 53 minutes in February 2014 to one hour 40 minutes in June 2014.
“Dwell times for laden imports have reduced by three days from May to June 2014. Our current civil project which has cost $135 million is within two months of completion and has resulted in a superior service to our land side customers. We have been and are working closely with the Nigerian Ports Authority and other stakeholders to ease the problem of the congestion in Apapa,” he added.
– This Day
