Gridlock: How NPA’s Truck Electronic Call-Up System Would be Operated, Come January 2021

By DAPO OLAWUNI

The Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Hajia Hadiza Bala Usman has said that the electronic call-up system, a baby of the NPA, would now be unveiled in January 2021.

Speaking recently in an interview, Hadiza said the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Park located at Orile would be the hub where the trucks would be parked, from there, they would be directed to the Tin Can Island Truck park before gaining access into the port.

Sources within the Presidential Task Team in a chat with DAILY TREND NEWS has however accused the NPA of deliberately frustrating the manual call-up system.
According to them, the NPA have since shutdown the Lillypond Terminal located at Ijora Lagos, even though the terminal was being used as the centre point of the manual call up system.

The source alleged that this was major reason why the gridlock on Ijora bridge inwards Apapa has increased in recent times.

Apart from these, they alleged that the NPA equally shut down some nominated parks which was serving as holding bay for trucks, allegedly to pave way for the new contractor of the electronic call-up system.

“The trucks on the bridges and point road are supposed to be at Lillypond terminal but the terminal has been shut down by NPA, even as it directed the trucks to go on the road.
Why did NPA shut the Lillypond Terminal? They did that deliberately so that by the time the contractor resumes, he would say that the system was already bad” he said

How the Electronic Call Up System Would be Operated

A reliable source within the agency who pleaded anonymity because he doesn’t have clearance to speak, confirmed to DAILY TREND NEWS that NPA has engaged a company named “TPP” and that the company is coming with the electronic call-up system by January.

Giving an insight into the new process, he said “You must have generated your ticket before you come to the port, if you are admitted at the truck park, and you do not exit, the system would not allow you to generate tickets to come to the port”

“Trucks going into Tin Can Port would be expected to stay at the Tin Can Island Truck park, while those going to Apapa port would be admitted at Ijora Park”

“There would also be other alternative parks, if you are coming to the port, you cannot be on the road, you must come from a recognised park”

“When you are coming from a recognised park, the condition is that the park must have CCTV, it must have electronic gates and good illumination”

“If a clearing agent has a container, there would be an application that would be made available for everybody, just like we have WhatsApp, on this application, all the TDO’s (Terminal Delivery Order) for containers that are ready for delivery, which the customs must have cleared and the terminal operators have also released, it would all be published on that platform”

“We also have on that platform, a list of all registered trucks, so you can now merge your truck with a TDO, once you merge your truck with a TDO, you would generate a ticket, as you are generating that ticket, it is the ticket that would allow the truck to leave the park and start proceeding towards the port”

“So, on the road if anybody stops you as a driver, you have to present that ticket. As the truck is coming towards the port, the transit park close to the port must be aware the truck was coming, the ticket would enable you into the park in readiness to when you would be called into the terminal” he said

He also assured that the electronic call-up system is foolproof, and that it cannot be circumvented by truck drivers.

“The advantage this system would bring to the table is that, if you are not coming from a park, you would not have any ticket. But some Nigerians would want to hang around the port, or go to the park and try to get a ticket”

“However, everything is going to be system-generated, if the CCTV at the park doesn’t capture you going into the park or coming out, it cannot generated any ticket”

“So, nobody can hang around the port and get ticket” he assured

He said that the NPA would soon begin a process of evacuating articulated trucks from the port corridor to pave way for the new dawn of electronic system of admitting trucks into the port.

“What we doing now is sensitising, we are having series of meetings with stakeholders including Customs, the Transportation unions, and the Freight Forwarders, becausw if you don’t carry stakeholders along, you are bound to fail”

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