TRUCK E-CALL UP: Transporters Fault NPA’ s ETO Apps Initiative Over Lack Of Holding Bays

Stakeholders in haulage operations of the maritime sub sector have faulted the newly introduced call up system by the Nigerian Ports Authority ( NPA) for trucks entry into the nation’s seaports, saying lack of functional holding bays by shipping companies will definitely frustrate the laudable project.

 

Management of the NPA over the weekend launched ETO Apps , which is to be downloaded by truck owners or drivers in a bid for them to access the ports .

 

Our correspondent who sampled opinions from a cross section of both truckers and freight agents confirmed that cabals in the shipping industry will work against the progress of the e-call system for selfish gains.

 

According to them, NPA and the Nigerian Shippers’Council should strategize on how to enforce compliance in ensuring that  all parties involved in the logistics chain supply key into the call up system initiative.

 

 

A chieftain, Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Alhaji Inuwa Abdullahi reiterated that without  existing facilities for return of empty containers, the port will continue to face logjam along the port corridors.

 

Inuwa who is the Public Relations Office, Council for Maritime Transport Unions and Association (COMTUA) in a chat with DAILYFOCUS NIGERIA expressed worries over the  ETO initiative by NPA over failure to caution shipping lines with such facilities.

 

He also  described the move as placing the cart before the horse.

 

 

The former Vice Chairman  , Dry Cargo section  of NARTO added that” My take on the initiative is that without functional holding bays pit in place by the shipping companies then we should forget the objectives and purpose of this truck call up system idea.”

 

 

Similarly, a top member of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Comrade Godwin Ikeji lamented that shipping companies would frustrate the initiative thus frustrate the initiative.

 

Ikeji described truckers in the maritime industry as endangered species that are taken for a ride by government agencies and private sector operators.

 

According to him, most of the shipping line agencies lack functional holding bays for over a decade and the relevant government agencies failed to sanction those that violates such directive

 

He noted that the port industry is ripe enough to commence automation but added that greed and dishonesty from some of the multinationals have  disallowed the sector to move forward.

 

The truck owner lamented that for the benefit of technological advancement to thrive in the nation’s ports, the federal  government should empower the agencies to sanction erring companies that fail to acquire holding bays for trucks.

 

He also noted that truck drivers and owners will easily adapt to the initiative stressing , “Everybody understands how phones are operated and the stakeholders will easily key into the app downloading process without much hitches.”