Truckers deliberately shun Onne Port Parks —NPA

Truckers are deliberately bypassing the Nigerian Ports Authority's (NPA) designated truck parks at Onne Port, creating significant logistical hurdles and contributing to delays in cargo evacuation. Instead of utilizing the four under-utilized parks, drivers prefer to park along the roads and pay community youths, according to Mr. Siraj Agbolade, Traffic Manager at Onne Port.

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The parks serve as transition areas where trucks are processed and scheduled to access the port for cargo evacuation or loading through the Electronic Call-Up System.

The parks are intended as transition areas for processing trucks and scheduling their port access via the Electronic Call-Up System. A stakeholder meeting is scheduled to address these issues and find solutions.

This situation unfolds against a backdrop of threats from transport unions and freight forwarders to withdraw services if road conditions are not improved as promised by the NPA. Ifeanyi Isikaku, Chairman of the Onne branch of ANLCA, warned that commercial activities could halt if urgent measures are not taken to repair the deteriorating access roads.

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unless urgent measures are taken to rehabilitate the deteriorating roads, commercial activities along the Onne Port corridor could grind to a halt.

Stakeholders allege that millions of naira are being lost as trucks carrying valuable consignments are involved in accidents or fall along the corridor. For businesses with tight delivery schedules, delays translate into increased costs, demurrage, vehicle maintenance, and potential cargo damage, transforming a vital logistics corridor into a daily ordeal.

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The crisis engulfing the Onne Port corridor appears to be deepening, as freight forwarding associations and maritime transport operators have raised the alarm over what they describe as the deplorable condition of the port access roads, indiscriminate truck parking and mounting losses suffered by freight forwarders, importers and transport operators.