BEVERLY HILLS, September 22, (THEWILL) – The Lagos State Government,on Friday, directed owners and operators of articulated vehicles/trailers and petroleum tankers to stay away from Lagos for now.
This was announced at a press conference jointly addressed by officials of the State as well as members of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa, Ikeja.
Addressing the briefing, the State’s Acting Commissioner for Transportation, Prince Olanrewaju Elegushi, said the State is worried by the recent traffic bottleneck that has taken over Apapa and its environs.
He regretted that the incessant traffic bottleneck had impacted negatively on the commercial activities of the citizenry, adding that the directive would be enforced to eliminate the current hardship being faced by motorists.
He disclosed that investigations have revealed that the traffic lockdown was a direct result of the challenges being faced by operators of the seaports which had made it impossible for them to load the articulated vehicles/trailers that have come from the hinterland to evacuate imported items from the ports.
He added that the the gridlock was worsened by the ongoing rehabilitation of some major roads and other minor roads which led to the closure of some roads in Apapa.
Justifying the State’s directive, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde, concurred that the Apapa gridlock had become a reoccurring problem due to constant breakdown of operations at the Ports.
“Clearly, it is the breakdown of operations at the Port that is the monster causing this reoccurring issue,” he said
“We keep having this issue of gridlock in Apapa because issues that the Ports Authorities and the concessionaires are dealing with are recurrent and the spillover effect of those issues are causing all these.”
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