In a bid to finding a lasting solution to the faceoff between Lagos State Government and truck owners and drivers who embarked on strike in protest of the restrictions placed on their movement by the state government, the General Manager Western Ports of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Chief Michael Ajayi, on behalf of the NPA management on Friday held a crucial meeting with the leaders of the transport unions.
The meeting, according to a press release by the NPA Western Ports Public Affairs Unit, was held “in a bid to avert any form of congestion and disruption of activities in the ports”.
Ajayi who informed the transport leaders’ representatives, that NPA was working on measures on maintenance of the port access roads, appealed to them to work on their trucks to meet approved safety standard and also to ensure regular enlightenment of their drivers on safety consciousness.
Ajayi also stated that any infraction to international best practices against transporters by any government official should be reported immediately to the appropriate quarters.
The transport union leaders in appealed to the Lagos State Government to reconsider the implementation of the law that restricts their movements to nighttime, adding that such restrictions would drastically affect their businesses.
They promised to cooperate with the state government to ensure safety on the roads and also maintained that plans have been concluded to set up a task force to stop rickety trucks from plying the highways.
The meeting was attended by the leaders of the Joint Council of Sea Port Transporters (JCOST), Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Association of Maritime Transport Owners (AMATO), National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN).
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