NPA extends truck certification deadline by three weeks

In a bid to restore sanity to operations of truck owners around the ports and to ensure full compliance, Chief Kayode Ajayi, General Manager, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Western Ports has extended by three weeks to the 21st March 2016 the deadline for truck certification embarked upon by the NPA while also insisting that there is no going back on the payment of N10, 000 registration fee by truck owners

Chief Ajayi revealed that the exercise was embarked upon to ensure that only roadworthy trucks are allowed to operate at the nation’s seaports.

He however commended the turnout of truck operators which he termed as ‘impressive’.

“All along, we have tried to enforce minimum standards and roadworthiness of these trucks. We called a meeting a few days ago with all the truckers association, the NARTO, the AMATO, the RTEAN, JCOST and the independent fleet owners. We brought them to a meeting and we also talked to them on the need to put their vehicles in order,” he said.

On the standards NPA expects the truck operators to maintain, he said, “One, the twist locks that ensures the stability of the containers on your truck must be in order. If the twist locks are not in order, any cargo will fall off the truck, so the twist locks must be in order.

“The brake system must be functional. The horn, the tyres must be one hundred percent in order and they must have spare tyres. The springs must be in order.

“We are going to check the exhaust system to ensure it is in conformity with the minimum standard of emission. Along the line, we will be checking the sensibility of the drivers entering the port. We don’t want a situation where the drivers take “paraga” before they can operate.

“They will be asked to take a breath test for alcohol. Those are the things we are putting in place now to ensure that there is safety. We have also educated and informed their leaders to find a way of sanctioning their drivers apart from enlightening them, on how to maintain minimum standards in the usage of their trucks.”

He said the three-week extension was to ensure that all compliant trucks are duly certified, registered and issued with relevant stickers to enable them access the ports.

In a related development, aggrieved placard-carrying truck operators over the weekend embarked on a peaceful protest to kick against the N10, 000 fee that was introduced by the NPA as part of measures to introduce minimum standards into trucking business in the ports. The transporters under the aegis of Coalition of Port Dry Cargo Transport Operators (CPDTO) lamented that NPA directive to collect the levy is unacceptable.

But, while the protest was on-going at the Lagos ports, a meeting was also being held simultaneously at the Marina headquarters of the NPA, where the Commissioner of Police in charge of Western Ports Mrs Hilda Harrison Ibifuro told representatives of the various truckers, including the unions that, no protest must have affect port operations. The ports gates must not be shut; no one can disrupt port operations. If you want to do business with Western ports, you must comply”.

Reacting, Chief Ajayi recalled that the various stakeholders had agreed after series of meetings to pay the N10, 000. He wondered why some persons within the various truck owners associations decided to kick against it.

He however told the truck owners that, “we need to register all trucks doing business with us for security and for planning, but the registration is free. If you don’t want to comply, please go away”. He clarified that the N10, 000 is entry permit for trucks and that its payable only once in a year.