Panic As Truck Owners Hike Up Freight Cost By 130%

By Roland Ekama, Lagos

There are indications that truck owners operating from the maritime industry have increase the cost of freight on cargoes exiting the Lagos seaports to the final destination by a whooping 130%..

This , according to truckers who confirmed the development to DAILYFOCUS NEWS ONLINE over the weekend, attributed the hike up to scarcity of trucks as a result of the ongoing road rehabilitation along the Apapa Oshodi Expressway in Lagos.

Aside the Yuletide festive season which is another contending factor , the truckers observed that the palliative measures along Tin Can , Coconut and Mile 2 stretch has made haulage operators relocate their businesses to other industrial communities across the South West region.

Findings further revealed Tin Can Island Container Terminal (TICT) and AP.Mollier Terminal (APMT) also contributed to the increased haulage cost.

Speaking on the background of the additional charges, Vice Chairman, Dry Cargo Section,Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO),Alhaji Inuwa Abdullahi lamented that the palliative works along the corridors contributed to the high cost of transportation , even as he alarmed that most truckers have relocated their vehicles to other industrial areas of Lagos state.

Inuwa decried slow pace of the road rehabilitation by the contractors, even as he called on the government to mandate the construction company to use the festive season to redouble its effort in fixing the road before 2020, in order to reduce the stress of gridlock faced by stakeholders.

Expressing his view on the increased freight charges on consignment, Inuwa stressed that the fee will further increase before the festivities.

According to him, the road rehabilitation militated against the inflow and outflow of haulage vehicles to the port community, pointing out that the scarcity of trucks gave rise to “highest bidder takes all”.

He added that : ” At the moment twenty bidders can contact a truck owner for a single truck to move their consignment from the seaports due to scarcity of trucks; which again gave rise to highest bidder takes all .

“Again, the road construction along Coconut to Mile 2 further compounded the scarcity of trucks because movement has been restricted in that axis.

“Transport did not start and stop at the port and that is why many of the truck owners have moved to other industrial areas like Ikeja, Agbara , Oregun and trade fair complex.

On the current charges, he said “The charges is now a little bit higher when compared to last month because the case we have before us is like petrol scarcity.”

“Like last month it was #300,000 as regards the terminal in question Some are flexible while others are not. But as at now truck owner charges between N400,000 and N450,000 for the shortest distance journey within Lagos.

On his part, Secretary, Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Kirikiri Lighter Terminal Chapel, Comrade Godwin Ikeji argued that gridlock and road rehabilitation along the corridors contributed to increased charges on cargoes.

Ikeji explained that during the festive period, there are slight upward charges on cargoes from the ports but added that scarcity is not the issue at moment.

Similarly, Abubakar Sule a transporter noted that truck owners are smiling to the banks while shippers are paying heavily to move their consignment from the seaports.

He called on the Nigerian Shippers Council to intervene in finding lasting solutions to the increase before the Christmas and New Year celebrations.