Truck Owners Accuse Barge Operators Of Charges Hike Over Failed E- Call Up System
The unified body of maritime truck operators, Council of Maritime Truck Unions and Associations (COMTUA) has accused barge operators of taking advantage of the failed port access roads to hike the cost of moving consignments via waterways from the ports in Lagos by 54 percent.
Recall that the newly introduced electronic call-up system has collapsed owing to alleged hijack by cabals who do not want the system to thrive on order for them to be able to milk truck owners and drivers.
The truckers lamented that since the return of long queues along the corridors, following the inability of the Nigerian Ports Authority NPA to sustain the e-call up system which in turn has led to the poor flow of vehicular movement inward the seaports in the last two months, bargers are smiling to the banks over the inefficiency of Truck Transit Park (TTP) operators.
President of COMTUA, Olaleye Thompson lamented that the poorly managed eto system by the NPA has led to hike in barges adding that cost of moving cargoes from the seaports to Mile 2 via the waterways has increased by 54 percent.
He said barge charges rose from N220,000 to N340 ,000 in the last two months.
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“Before now, those who were moving cargoes through barges were paying N220 thousand naira but when they saw the situation of the road, as I am talking to you today, barge is N340 thousand naira
“They noticed that the road is zero, so you don’t have choice if you want to move your consignment early, you have to come to them.
“It has given them the monopoly because they know that you cannot get it done on the road,you have to come back to them.
“It is the common masses in the market that suffer the whole thing. Even if they move containers for one million, it is the populace that suffers it at the long run because whatever you buy, you put it on the prices. So, government needs to do something because it is like punishing the citizens,” he lamented.
The COMTUA boss reiterated that truckers have concluded plans to issue a week ultimatum for the government to get it right or else transporter will be forced to withdraw their services .
By Roland Ekama
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