COMTUA, which is Council of Maritime transport unions and association, formed in May 2018, is a collaboration of six major transport unions and associations in maritime industry namely: National Association of Road Transport Owners(NARTO),Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria( MWUN), Road Transport Employers of Nigeria(RTEAN),Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers( NURTW) ( Heavy duty section), Amalgamation of Container Truck Owners Association(ACTOA) and ContainerTruck Owners Association(,COTOAN).
Speaking at a Press conference in Lagos Wednesday, the acting chairman, Board of Trustee, COMTUA, Mr. Aloga Ogbogo who said the committee should comprise Nigerian Ports Authority(NPA), Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Port Police, COMTUA and Terminal Operators, stressing that government should make it a policy that all trucks going to the ports must enter the transit truck terminals before accessing the ports while defaulters should be severely sanctioned.
Ogbogo who is also the Executive Secretary , Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) attributed the persistent traffic gridlock within the port corridors to shunting of trucks that were not on call-up by some persons with the aid of security Agencies operating within the port environment; the inefficiency of the shipping companies and terminal operators in handling empty containers like system break down, lack of space to stack empty containers.
He further disclosed that lack of functional holding bay by shipping companies for the empty containers and the failure of shipping companies to bring in sweeper vessels to evacuate the empty containers as well as delay by the construction company in the construction of the Apapa Oshodi expressway were among other factors responsible for the traffic gridlock within the port environment.
On the issue of provision of holding bay for empty containers , he said, it’s long overdue and over flogged. It is the responsibility of the regulators, Nigeria shipper’s council and NPA to ensure that most of these shipping companies have their holding bay where they stack their containers, but the regulators have failed to address the issue over time.
