The Joint Council of Seaport Truckers (JCOST) has said that it would comply with the minimum standard for trucks recently introduced by the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA).
Secretary General of JCOST, Godwin Ikeji said in Lagos that the Council would support any effort by the government aimed at ensuring standardization of all the trucks operating within the nation’s seaport.
He said that the group was not against such move adding that they had been applying the said standard before now.
Ikeji however bemoaned the state of infrastructure which he said was detrimental to their business.
He said, “JCOST as a body don’t have anything against the minimum standard. We have been applying it even before now. It is over a year issue, we have applied it and our members are doing their best and you can see that our trucks are coming back safely. They take delivery from the port and come back safely. The only accident you see is where there is bad infrastructure like roads.
“We have been complying and our members have been doing their best in spite of lack of assistance from anywhere. In fact there is no agency, no bank that is giving loan to the truckers. Our members have been doing their best and our trucks are up to the task.”
Copyright Ships & Ports Ltd. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit given to www.shipsandports.com.ng as the source.