Maritime truck operators reject Lagos ABAT transit park

TRUCK operators under the aegis of the Association of Maritime Truck Operators (AMATO), have kicked against plans by the Lagos State Government to relocate all articulated vehicles to the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (ABAT) Park, citing safety issues that could arise from keeping petroleum tanker trucks together with containerised trucks.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune in an exclusive interview, Chairman of AMATO, Chief Remi Ogungbemi, explained that the ABAT park is mainly for petroleum tanker vehicles, and that there is no way container-carrying trucks can share same park with petroleum tanker trucks.

According to Ogungbemi, “I listened to His Excellency, the Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, explaining that efforts are in top gear to make ABAT ready for container-carrying articulated vehicles, that the place can contain about 3000 trucks. From what the Governor said, the ABAT place is not yet ready because they have not even started to prepare it for truckers.

“We know the park and normally refer to it as white sand. It is mainly designed for petroleum tanker trucks, and there is no way containerised trucks can cohabitate with petroleum tanker trucks in the same place. Petroleum tanker trucks carry inflammable products while containerised trucks carry dry cargoes.

‘Moving forward, we have identified a place that can comfortably accommodate about 1000 trucks and has every amenities that a truck transit parks require like toilets, restrooms, restaurants etc, but the owner is demanding for outright payment of around N2bn.

“No government has ever provided any place for us as truck transit parks. The Lagos State provision of ABAT cannot work because containerised trucks cannot stay in the same place with petroleum tanker trucks.  We have identified a place in Orile area, but the owner wants outright payment of N2bn. The owner of the place is not interested in any lease arrangement.

“The reason our members still park on streets in Lagos is because we have not been able to raise the amount the owner of that park in Orile wants. Owning a truck transit park is capital intensive, and it is only government that can venture into such project.

“So if the Federal Government wants orderliness for trucks carrying containers in and out of the ports, then government should acquire the truck park in Orile, or better still borrow us the money, and we will arrange a way in which to pay government back installmentally.

“The Orile park is readily available within the next 24hours after outright purchase, unlike the Lagos State ABAT park that is not yet ready, and cannot cohabitate petroleum tankers trucks and containerised trucks together.

“Compelling containerized trucks to stay in the same park with petroleum tanker trucks is dangerous due to the inflammable products the tanker trucks carry. For safety reasons, we cannot stay in the Lagos State ABAT park when completed because f the presence of the petroleum tanker trucks.