Apapa Gridlock: NPA Tackles Eto Racketeering, Slams 3-days Expiry Date on Tickets

By DAPO OLAWUNI

In order address the resurgence of traffic tailback along the ports corridors and also curb the Trucks Call-Up ticket racketeering, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has introduced a 3-days on-road expiry period on the Call-Up tickets.

This was conveyed in a notice dated January 2, 2024 by the Trucks Transit Parks Limited, technical partners to the NPA on the Eto call-up system.

NPA has directed that on-road validity of tickets from left-pregate to in-terminal be introduced to trucks accessing the ports.

“This means that although ticket validity runs typically for 21 days, however, all trucks must access the designated terminal within three days (72 hours) of being left-pregated with effect from the 4th of January 2024.

“In light of the above, please see below the revised structure of eto ticket validity:

“The total ticket validity period for all truck categories remains 21 days. Nonetheless, all trucks now have 3 days (72 hours) from the point of being leftpregated to entering the port, after which the tickets will expire.

“All trucks currently on left pregate and yet to be admitted into the ports now have only 3 days (72 hours) effective from the date of commencement of the policy to enter the port before their tickets will expire automatically.

“All trucks currently in pregate will have a 3-day (72 hours) validity period after leaving the pregate to enter the port before ticket expiration.

“All new bookings will be subjected to the same validity period of 3 days (72 hours) between left pregate and in terminal going forward.

“No provision for extension of the validity period between left pregate and in terminal under any guise is allowed after the expiration of the 3-day (72 hours) threshold” the notice stated