The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) said the continuous refusal of truckers to use truck parks provided at Onne Port is creating serious challenges for the port management, the host community and also contributing to delays in cargo evacuation.

The Traffic Manager at Onne Port, Siraj Agbolade, said four truck parks in and around the port are currently underutilised as truckers prefer to park their trucks along the roads and pay touts.

He said the truck parks are equipped with basic facilities to make truckers’ stay comfortable during the few hours they are expected to spend there.

Agbolade explained that the parks serve as transition areas where trucks are processed and scheduled to access the port for cargo evacuation or loading through the Electronic Call-Up System.

He also said a meeting with various stakeholders operating at Onne Port has been scheduled for this week to discuss the issues and agree on possible solutions.

The development comes against the backdrop of a planned withdrawal of services by some transport unions and freight forwarders, who have threatened to withdraw services if the trucks continue to park indiscriminately on the roads, as well as the rehabilitation as promised by the NPA.

Also commenting, Chairman Onne Branch of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Ifeanyi Isikaku, warned that unless urgent measures are taken to rehabilitate the deteriorating roads, commercial activities along the Onne Port corridor could grind to a halt.

He alleged that freight forwarders and importers are losing millions of naira as trucks conveying valuable consignments reportedly fall or are involved in accidents along the corridor.

“The crisis engulfing the Onne Port corridor appears to be deepening, as freight forwarding associations and maritime transport operators have raised the alarm over what they describe as the deplorable condition of the port access roads, indiscriminate truck parking and mounting losses suffered by freight forwarders, importers and transport operators,” he said.

For years, he said, the Onne port corridor has served as a critical artery for the movement of cargo in and out of the Eastern maritime economy.

Isikaku said stakeholders are complaining about the deteriorating state of the road, which he said has transformed what should be a vital logistics corridor into a daily ordeal for truckers, freight forwarders, importers and residents.

He noted that for businesses operating on tight delivery schedules, every additional day spent waiting on the road translates into additional costs, such as demurrage, vehicle maintenance, loss of business and, in some cases, damaged cargo. (The Guardian)

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