FOR the second day running, commuting in most parts of Lagos was hectic yesterday.
Indiscriminate parking by drivers of articulated vehicles on the highway paralysed vehicular and business activities in Nigeria’s commercial hub. The government agencies saddled with the responsibilities of enforcing traffic order were over-stretched and overwhelmed. Behind the chaotic traffic situation is the restriction placed on trucks’ movement in the Centre of Excellence.
But, going by the feelers from the state government circle, motorists are to tarry a while to enjoy stress-free ride in and out of the Apapa axis.
The Nation learnt yesterday that relevant authorities, including the government, the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) and port operators are back at the drawing board, planning how to find a lasting solution to the perennial headache.
It was learnt that the stakeholders were at the port on Tuesday for an on-the-spot-assessment of the situation. The tour will guide the government on what to do, a source told The Nation.
The source listed those on the assessment team as officials of the Ministry of Transportation (MoT), NPA, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Vehicle Inspection Services (VIS) and the NPA.
According to the source, the Lagos State government has a plan to come up with an enduring solution and not a palliative or remedial solution that will not end the nagging traffic.
The source said: “We are pleading with Lagosians that the government will soon come up with a solution that will permanently end the chaotic traffic situation in that axis. We are not interested in a make-shift arrangement that will bring about just a temporary relief.
“We have been meeting regularly with all relevant stakeholders including government agaencies at the federal and state levels. Lagos State government is very concerned but the problems of many years cannot be tackled overnight.”
Part of the solutions being worked out, The Nation learnt, is the re-engineering of port operations in a way that all the roads leading to Apapa Port will be able to cope with the volume of business in that axis.
“The port operators are overhauling and reorganising their modalities in collaboration with the state government. But, I can assure you, the problem will soon become a thing of the past.”
Shortly after settling down to business, Ambode promised to expand the trailer park billed for the White Sand Market at Orile-Iganmu to accommodate at least 1000 trucks. He expressed optimism that the measures being put in place will tame the traffic bottlenecks at Apapa.
The expansion plan was lauded by the Southwest chapter of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
Chapter Chairman Tokunbo Korodo said the expansion will bring a lasting solution to the gridlock on Apapa and Orile-Iganmu routes.
According to him, tanker drivers’ park on highways in Lagos due to what he called lack of security and parking lot in the metropolis.
He, however, encouraged the government to expedite action on the development of the entire parking lot, which according to him, could accommodate 2,300 trucks instead of the 1000 parking spaces being proposed by the government.
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