FG to rid seaports of substandard trucks

To check incessant accidents around the seaports caused by substandard trucks, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has constituted a surveillance team drawn from the Safety Department of Western Ports to rid the Lagos ports of rickety articulated vehicles.

Spokesman of NPA, Iheanacho Ebubeogu, who stated this yesterday said members of the team were drawn from Lagos Ports Complex (LPC) and Tin Can Island Port Complex (TCIPC).

He added that the officials are now involved in the physical inspection of trucks to ensure that only trucks, that comply with  stipulated safety standards are allowed entry into the ports within the Lagos area.

He said the leader of the team, Mr. David Adeola, has already recorded positive results as a number of trucks are daily prevented from entering the LPC due to their poor road worthiness status. He expressed optimism that if the minimum standards of road worthiness are enforced on all trucks admitted for operations in the ports and with terminal operators adhering strictly to it, it will eventually eliminate cases of mishap within and outside the ports due to faulty and substandard trucks.

Ebubeogu explained that the minimum standard of road worthiness for trucks entering the port stipulates specifications expected of a truck and covers, among others, the truck head, body, braking system, engine, battery, traficators, warning devices, twist locks and other fittings.
Meanwhile, Chairman, Association of Maritime Transport Owners (AMATO), Chief Remi Ogungbemi, assured that the association was in full support of the surveillance duties of the Safety Department of the NPA to ensure the safety of other road users in the port.

Ogungbemi who reiterated that the enforcement of the safety standard was necessary for all trucks in the nation’s seaports, assured that his association was already educating its members on the benefits of acquiring and having standard trucks for effective operation.

AGM Security (Western Ports), Mr. Sam Asamaige, who said the department has always supported the Safety Department whenever it embarks on truck surveillance duties, explained that some truck owners are complying strictly to the rules.

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