The Federal Roads Committee on Surveillance and Action against Road Abuse (FERCSARA) has fashioned out operational modalities to address the prevailing traffic challenges caused by the movement of container truck and petroleum tanker drivers in and out of Apapa port.
The operational guidelines were listed in a statement signed by the committee’s Special Taskforce Chairman, Austin Kelly, which according to him, was a result of the committee’s due consultation with relevant stakeholders.
Foremost on the list is that all shipping lines and oil marketing companies are to have functional holding bays for the storage of their empty containers and their trucks.
It was also stated that shipping lines, oil marketers and oil tank farm operators must indicate on their delivery documents the holding bay to return the empty containers and time for tanker drivers to load oil from the tank farms, and that on discharge at location all empty containers and petroleum tankers must return directly to the designated holding bays.
“Shipping companies in agreement with terminal operators are to issue in advance a list of containers intended for transfer to terminals for holding bays and the list be given to FERCSARA and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) for monitoring and compliance. The same is applicable to petroleum tankers indicating on their delivery note when to load,” the statement further noted.
The guidelines also include that transfer from the holding bays to the port and tank farms should be done at night and the transfer be monitored by FERCSARA, NPA officials and representatives of the trucking companies and NUPENG.
It was also noted that there shall be sanctions for empty truck and tanker drivers not listed for transfers and loading of petroleum products but found on the roads.
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