The Lagos State Government (LASG) says it will continue to engage relevant stakeholders to ensure that the problem of gridlock experienced within Apapa Port is resolved.Mr Sola Giwa, the Special Adviser to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Transportation, made this known during an interactive meeting with relevant stakeholders, including officials of the Nigerian Ports Authority, in Lagos on Friday.
Giwa said that the objective of the meeting was to provide a permanent solution to Apapa Port gridlock.
He said that in spite of the success recorded in managing traffic around Apapa with the introduction of ‘Eto’ system for petroleum tankers, the state government was still working tirelessly to resolve other challenges to enable seamless journey of motorists.
The special adviser said that the government was trying to establish a process that would be seen as fair and beneficial to everyone.
“When the road is free, motorists will move freely without traffic and tankers’ turnover will be high.
”Traffic causes health, security and other social problems,” he said.
He said that the Sanwo-Olu-led administration was discussing the involvement of the private sector in providing space for tankers to park temporarily while awaiting individual call-up for loading.
Earlier, Mr Kilanko Solomon, representing the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), commended Giwa for working round the clock to enable free flow of traffic around Apapa and other parts of the state.
He said that NUPENG was ready to cooperate with the state government in providing lasting solutions to the perennial traffic around the entire Apapa Port area.
Other stakeholders at the meeting include officials of Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, Petroleum Tanker Drivers, Lagos Zonal Command, Ardova Plc, Conoil and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority.
Officials at the meeting set up a committee with the task of accommodating other stakeholders into the ‘call-up’ system introduced to encourage orderliness in parking among tankers.
The committee will also provide holistic solutions to the entire perennial traffic problem around Apapa.
