NPA To Rid Lagos Port Access Roads Of Gridlock, Checkpoints

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), yesterday, said the authority has declared zero tolerance for all forms of impediments on the port access roads.

In a statement by the authority, the managing director, NPA, Mohammed Bello-Koko, said this was to consolidate on the gains recorded in the clearance of illegal check/extortion points and shanties resulting in traffic gridlock on Tincan Island Port access road.

Bello Koko said, “our zero tolerance for all forms of impediments to free flow of traffic is no fluke. We are poised to consolidate on the gains we have recorded first in Apapa and now Tincan.

“We are grateful to the Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola and the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-olu, for the tremendous support we have received in this regard.”

“Ports access roads are international corridors, which means traffic gridlock along such sensitive road networks apart from  negating port productivity is an international embarrassment that requires the synergy of all stakeholders to tackle sustainably.”

Although the causes of the gridlock are rooted in factors external to NPA, we have a duty as the gateway to the national economy to take the front line role in tackling this menace.”

According to the NPA boss who paid an on the spot assessment visit to the Mile2- Tin-Can Island road, disclosed that it will begin desilting and evacuation of debris on the port access road.

“Although i have directed our relevant in-house department to commence desilting of the drainages and clearance of the refuse, we will enlist the cooperation and intensify synergy with Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and the Federal Ministry of Works under whose purview waste and road management resides to arrest the ugly trend.”

LEADERSHIP reports that the Mohammed Bello Koko -led management of NPA had recently received the commendation  of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) for clearing the perennial traffic gridlock that hitherto made ingress and egress of Lagos Ports of Apapa and Tincan difficult.