Acclaimed ETO Call Up Achievements Tear Truck Owners, TTP Limited Apart

Truck owners in the maritime industry are at loggerhead with  Truck Transit Park (TTP) Limited on the acclaimed achievements of the ETO call up system on easing gridlock along the  ports corridor of Apapa, Lagos State.

The truckers under the aegis of Council of Maritime Truck Unions and Associations (COMTUA) expressed dissatisfaction of the company’s claims of resolving the perennial traffic situation in the port city of Apapa, arguing that the situation under the call up system as managed by TTP Limited was yet to address truckers plight.

Apparently dissatisfied with the performance to clear the port corridors from traffic, the the leadership of COMTUA criticised management of Truck Transit Park (TTP) Limited for the acclaimed achievements of the ETO call up system on easing gridlock along the Apapa port .

COMTUA , while lampooning management of TTP Limited in a statement signed by the President, Mr.Adeyinka Aroyewun alleged that the company is bent on convincing the federal government into ceding the Lekki port to it for truck call up contract.

According to him,  members of the association have continued to experience challenges in accessing and conducting their lawful businesses despite the introduction of the electronic call up system via the electronic application called Eto as introduced by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) but operated/managed by Trucks Transit Parks Limited (TTPL).

He noted that the road leading to the port was never free of stationary trucks and extortion was on the increase, alleging that the imposition of the  Minimum Safety sticker of the NPA, which gave hitherto been placed on hold by a court for revenue purposes.

The statement reads in full:

“Our attention has been drawn to lies of Mr Jamal on the achievements of eto call up in clearing the gridlock on the port corridor in Apapa. This he is using as an instrument to convince the federal government into ceding the lekki port to it for truck call up.

“We continue to wonder why this character will thinks he can deceive everybody into accepting the entire failure of his company as a Nigerian problem.

“We would, ordinarily have ignored him and allow the NPA fall the same victim of his fraud twice, but the interest of our business and the entire nation is our guide.

“Most disturbing is his claim that COMTUA endorses or recommends him. This is laughable, as we have not seen anything good in his illegal and imposed procedure.The failure of TTP and the illegality involved are as follows:

” Members of Council of Maritime Transport Union Association (“COMTUA”) have continued to experience challenges in accessing and conducting our lawful businesses despite the introduction of the electronic call up system (via the electronic application called Eto (“ETO” or the “App”) introduced by the Nigerian Ports Authority (“NPA”) but operated/managed by Trucks Transit Parks Limited (“TTPL”).

“Despite the intendment of the App, which should ordinarily aid the use and access to the ports without any human interface or forms of preference, members of the our association have experienced incessant cases of such human interface and preferences which makes the continued use and/or operation of ETO an abuse.

”  Our members are required to, irrespective of the location of their trucks, specifically pay for certain dues, including satellite and pre-gate garages, whether or not these services are used or usable or reasonable. Also, notwithstanding procuring the required and approved governmental documents for the road worthiness of our trucks, members of the our association are subjected to a second mandatory road worthiness documentation process with the NPA before the use and access to the ports.

” Further to the above, and in abuse of the rights of movement of members of the COMTUA, their trucks are unable to freely move both within and outside the precincts of the ports, except and until these documentations, among other things, are procured from the NPA.

‘The charges imposed for the use and access to the ports have been unilaterally altered repeatedly (about five times) by TTPL without any form of consultation or consideration for the interests of the users of the ports, including members of the our.

“The road leading to the port is never free of stationary trucks and extortion is on the increase.

” The imposition of the fraudulent Minimum Safety sticker of the NPA, which gave hitherto been placed on hold by a court for revenue purposes.

“We are by this medium advising the Federal government, Lagos state government, The Nigerian Ports Authority and other investors in the Lekki Deep Sea Port to seek a credible alternative and not reinforce the failure of Truck Transit Park we are witnessing in Apapa.

“Truckers have continued to knock TTP Limited  for the low performance in the port access road in a bid to clear traffic  through ETO apps, even as they urged the government to break the jinx of monopoly .

“They also clamoured for government to engage  other companies in furtherance to create a competitive environment among competitors.”

Meanwhile, in a statement made available to DAILY FOCUS NIGERIA on Saturday by the Corporate Communications Manager, Nancy Nnamdi , faulted claims by the truckers,  saying  that the successes that have been achieved with Eto in the Apapa and Tin Can Island areas of Lagos are visible and independently verifiable.

The spokesperson  also, stressed that  the company does not unilaterally impose charges, pointing out that all charges are decided in consonance with the Nigerian Ports Authority NPA and Lagos State Government alongside other relevant stakeholders.

Nnamdi reiterated that In the two years of existence operations, the company successfully deployed automation of truck batching and security-enabled booking tickets, without which trucks cannot access the ports.

According to her,  the company processed over 1.3m trucks via the eto platform and have installed access control barriers at Apapa & Tin Can Port gates, inhibiting unauthorized entry.

While emphasising on gains of the app,she affirmed that there has also been a massive reduction in the cost of moving cargo from about N1 million to less than N400,000., stressing that there is a visible reduction in the cost of entering the ports as TTP Limited has been able to eliminate multiple Illegal payments along the Lagos seaports through legitimate booking on Eto.

Primarily,also she maintained that there is reduction in congestion on port access roads, through proper truck scheduling and park infrastructure.

The statement reads in full:

“Our attention has been drawn to a communique being circulated by the Council of Maritime Transport Union Association (COMTUA) alleging that the Managing Director of Trucks Transit Parks Ltd., Jama Onwubuariri is telling lies about the achievements of the Eto call-up system in Apapa and Tincan and that Mr Onwubuariri claims to have the endorsement of COMTUA.

“We would like to state clearly and unequivocally that at no time did TTP claim to have the support or endorsement of COMTUA, and none of the articles on the said issue states this, nor was such a claim necessary in the first place.

“The successes that have been achieved with Eto in the Apapa and TinCan areas of Lagos are visible and independently verifiable. This has been recognised by all levels of Government, including the Presidency, having been included in the Presidents Independence Day broadcast in 2021.

” In the two years since we started operations, we have successfully deployed automation of truck batching & security-enabled booking tickets, without which trucks cannot access the ports. We have processed over 1.3m trucks via the eto platform; we have installed access control barriers at Apapa & Tincan Port gates, inhibiting unauthorized entry.

“In addition, we have successfully enabled the reduction in truck turnaround time from an average of 2 weeks to about 3 days. There has also been a massive reduction in the cost of moving cargo from about N1 million to less than N400,000. There is a visible reduction in the cost of entering the ports as we’ve been able to eliminate multiple Illegal payments along Apapa & Tincan Port roads through legitimate booking on Eto.

There is reduction in congestion on port access roads, through proper truck scheduling and park infrastructure. Previously you’ll have about 4,000 trucks on the roads daily leading to congestion, Now, we have an avg of 1,500 trucks scheduled and batched daily via the Eto app.

“Moreover, minimum safety checks are carried out by the NPA and stickers are issued by them. TTP does not issue MSS stickers as claimed by COMTUA. Also,  TTP does not unilaterally impose charges, all charges are decided in consonance with the NPA, LASG and other relevant stakeholders.

“We are a responsible company and all our activities are conducted in a responsible manner and the interests of our different stakeholder groups. Hence, we continuously work with our customers to address their pain points and will continue to improve our technology to serve them better.

“Our service delivery has attracted the attention of various state and federal government agencies, who are now seeking to partner with us for their traffic management solutions.

“TTP looks forward to extending the Callup system to the Lekki Port in partnership with the Nigerian Ports Authority, as our contract covers all ports in Lagos State. We will continue to engage with relevant stakeholders for improved service delivery.”

By Roland Ekama