Apapa traffic gridlock: Long walk to freedom?

“Transport enhances and promotes economic activities; it facilitates businesses and expedites social integration. Poverty, hostility and strife pervades the land where it is impeded and or disabled in any of its modes”.

N igeria as an import dependent country depends greatly on her sea ports. The Apapa and Tin-can sea ports in Lagos are the gateways to Nigeria’s economy. The Nigerian economy is thus dependent on how quickly/cheaply cargoes move out/into these sea ports. Owing to a near non-existent rail way transport system/waterways for cargo evacuation from the ports, the number of trucks, lorries and other articulated vehicles plying the Apapa routes daily are better imagined than to be caught in the traffic gridlock occasioned by their presence on the bad roads, which, neglected by successive governments have worsened, so much so that a journey of fifteen, twenty minutes to Apapa now take up to three, four hours. From traffic jam or “go slow” in years past, for most part of 2014 it was traffic gridlocks.

How to solve the problem:

The problem is twofold; the human element and infrastructural deficits.

The Human Element

Majority of persons who throng Apapa daily have very little or no business to do within the ports. While some are touts/miscreants, others are errand boys/girls; employees of government employees/agents.  Keeping them out is thus a challenge that government and stakeholders should tackle to reduce human/vehicular traffic within Apapa.

These “agents” also facilitate and act as go between for and on behalf of their masters, carrying out illegal transactions which clog the process of clearing cargo from the ports. This causes delays and long queues of trucks on Creek road, Wharf road, Warehouse road and other adjoining streets/link roads, creating “job” for another set of men who claim to manage/control traffic within Apapa. These traffic managers/task force units have created their “toll gates/business centres” or “man must chop points”. In collaboration, they ensure that if truck drivers do not pay their toll as charged, no movement. These have to be looked into if the gridlocks are to reduce or be eliminated.

Reduction of human traffic/contact in port operations, especially the cargo clearing process and deepening information communication technology, ICT, as well, by government and maritime stakeholders are viable options in solving the Apapa traffic gridlocks.

Infrastructure

The continued collapse of infrastructure across Nigeria is lamentable.  Lack of investments in road infrastructure, absence of a national transport policy/master plan and non-existence of a sea port development program have all culminated in the hydra headed Apapa traffic gridlock.

Whether you enter Apapa through the Apapa/Oshodi expressway via Berger, Rainbow, Trinity, Coconut, 1^st/2^nd gate bus stops or through Ijora via Barracks, Airways, Flour Mills, Eleganza routes, the scene (long stretch of non-moving vehicles) is the same.

Between Berger and Coconut bus stops are the Ibru jetty and several tank farms and terminals through which imported refined petroleum products are lifted by trucks. Nigeria’s global uniqueness for importation of refined petroleum products and increase in cargo throughput as indicated in publications by the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, without any attempt at creating means of evacuating these cargoes (wet and dry) is the major cause of the gridlocks within Apapa.

If Petroleum products could be moved by rail in larger volume, if the water ways linking Apapa – Ikorodu – Epe -ijebu_Ode on one side and Apapa-Badagry on the other could be explored, number of trucks on the roads would be reduced and the gridlocks would disappear.

The much talked about holding bay is a good idea but it is an idea that cannot be implemented successfully today because of the human element earlier mentioned and lack of space within Apapa. Where do you locate such a holding bay? Within Apapa?  Ijora? Orile? Trade Fair complex in mile 2? How long will it take for a truck to move from there to the Apapa port complex or Tin can, load/off load and leave? If we had been more futuristic in our planning the land now occupied by the Eleganza Plaza from Wharf Road to Burma Road would have been reserved for trucks going into the Apapa port complex and the space opposite Tin-can as well. Could these spaces be reclaimed? Another way to address the Apapa gridlock is to demolish all illegal structures along the Apapa/Oshodi expressway and all such between Ijora and Apapa port complex main gate. Along these routes are shops, restaurants and residential/office buildings which could not have been approved or approval gotten illegally. A comprehensive review is required as part of the solutions we seek.

The commercial activities under the Ijora bridge and the menace of “traffic predators” in disguise is a big contributory factor to the Apapa gridlocks. Stakeholders, the Lagos state and Federal governments must address these nuisances if the Apapa gridlocks are to reduce or be eliminated completely.

There are alleged returns to “Ogas on top” from collections “obtained” by allowed parkings within Apapa, especially by truck drivers.  Flow of traffic will eliminate these. Therefore, inputs from certain quarters/groups should be thoroughly examined in the quest for solutions before adoption/implementation.

The beneficiaries from the Apapa traffic jam are few and their gains nothing compared to the anguish, pains and losses suffered by the majority. Any inconvenience to such gainers and protests by them should be ignored in implementing proffered solutions.

Maritime stakeholders, if their businesses in Apapa are to flourish must come together, approach the federal government through the Lagos state government with ideas and solutions that could unlock the painful Apapa traffic gridlock.

Arrests of trucks/drivers by the Lagos state government as a way of clearing the chaotic Apapa traffic has not worked because truck drivers too work with time. They prefer to move cargo to and fro than remain stagnant in one position. What is required is a large piece of land, not far from the ports, where trucks could be parked prior to entering the ports in Lagos; refuel, refresh, do maintenance, drive into the ports when required, load/offload and leave.

Blame trading between stakeholders, the Lagos and federal governments cannot solve the problem. Some level of roads (within Apapa) reconstruction, modifications, demolitions and adequate compensations are inevitable if the gridlocks are to become a thing of the past.

One of the gains from concessioning the ports, maritime stakeholders agree, is the improved turn-around time for vessels calling at the Lagos sea ports. If the vessels are coming, offloading and leaving, if the cargoes they bring are not being evacuated at the same, if not faster speed then congestion looms if the gridlocks persist.

Apart from cargo movement from and to the ports in Lagos, another inherent danger in the Apapa traffic lockdown is the issue of responding to emergencies within Apapa. Neither the fire service, health workers nor armed forces in emergency situations can enter or leave Apapa in a hurry. Maritime business is very dynamic and very crucial to Nigeria’s economy. It consists of several chains of actions/activities by machines and persons during which anything could happen.

There is need to clear the roads linking Apapa for quick movement by persons on duty through these roads.

Conclusion

There is need for planning with the future in mind. A national policy on the development of sea ports across Nigeria is imperative. A blueprint on general transportation is also needed to guide stakeholders and government at all levels on future constructions/developments.

The Nigerian shippers’ Council, NSC needs to rework its Inland Container depots, ICD project which is hinged on a functional rail system. A successful ICD project will impact positively on cargo evacuation by reducing reliance on trucks for cargo transportation with the country.

The Nigerian Ports Authority, the Nigeria Customs Service, The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA and other government agencies must of necessity establish a pool of funds for the maintenance of port access roads. This, if diligently managed will improve port access road network and enhance movement, like they say, time is money.

Cargo evacuation by rail/water channels and delivery of wet cargo using pipelines, if the refineries cannot be fixed to stop fuel importation are sure ways to reduce the gridlocks