By Idowu Addison
The Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) has decried the inefficient handling of empty containers at the APM Terminals in Apapa Port, Lagos, saying the development is contributing to congestion and blockage of access roads leading to the port.
The group has called for the closure of the gate for empty containers, noting that several trucks carrying empty boxes have remained in the queue for more than 48 hours.
It added that the slow rate of movement has been insufficient to ease the persistent road congestion caused by trucks transporting empty containers.
The President of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), Remi Ogungbemi, has called for accountability among terminal operators, pre-gate managers and truckers over the congestion caused by trucks conveying empty containers to the ports.
Ogungbemi questioned whether APM Terminals were receiving more empty containers than its yard could accommodate at a given time, stressing that responsibility should be established whenever trucks are turned back due to capacity constraints.
He said where a terminal fails to receive the quantity of empty containers it had requested, it should bear the cost of turning back the affected trucks. Conversely, if pre-gate operators release more trucks than the terminal requested at a particular period, the pre-gate or responsible party should be made to bear the associated costs.
Ogungbemi also said truckers who gain unauthorised access to port roads without being duly scheduled or invited should face appropriate sanctions.
He stressed that effective scheduling of truck movements into the ports was achievable, provided all stakeholders demonstrated sincerity of purpose and adhered to agreed procedures.
