Gridlock: Truck Owners Applaud E-Call-Up Automation
The Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) has reasserted its endorsement of the electronic call-up automation system instituted by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to address the gridlock on the Apapa and Tin-Can port access roads.
The Secretary-General of the association, Mr. Mohammed Sani-Bala, voiced his support following a peaceful rally in Lagos on Thursday.
Sani-Bala lauded the NPA for the initiative that has restored order to the port access roads.
The Secretary-General declared that the manual call-up system is obsolete, and any yearning for that bygone era must yield to the reality of sustainable, technology-driven port logistics.
He asserted that the electronic call-up system is not merely an application but a transformative milestone in the annals of Nigeria’s maritime logistics.
The Secretary-General further elaborated that the eradication of gridlock and the enhancement of traffic flow along the logistics corridors have facilitated the seamless evacuation of import and export cargoes.
He stated: “On behalf of the trucking community, we wish to utilize this peaceful rally as a platform to convey our profound gratitude to the management of NPA for the system’s implementation.
“This is also to acknowledge the Lagos State Government for its crucial role in enforcing compliance with the Standard Operating Procedures that underpin the system.
“The system transcends a mere app; it is a transformative milestone in the annals of Nigeria’s maritime logistics.
“It has inaugurated a new era of automation, transparency, and efficiency in port access and truck scheduling, resolving the long-standing chaos and gridlock that afflicted the Apapa and Tin Can Island logistics corridors for decades.
“Today, truckers can secure port access slots remotely and affordably, from anywhere globally, without the necessity of physically queuing for extended periods or engaging with road syndicates for access tags.
“This previously cost between N250,000 and N300,000, often with no assurance of progress. The system, at a flat rate of N21,500, has eradicated the extortion and exploitation that characterized the manual era.”
Elaborating further, Sani-Bala stated that the port corridors are now more fluid, and the environment is more hospitable, with appreciating property values.
He noted that gridlock has diminished, and order has returned to the roads.
Truckers no longer endure sleeping in vehicles or succumb to exhaustion behind the wheel.
Sani-Bala remarked that import and export cargoes are evacuated seamlessly while businesses now operate on schedule, adding that Apapa, once a ghost town, is vibrant again, with burgeoning property values and rejuvenated community life.
He criticized the recent smear campaign against the call-up system, asserting that their interest lies in turning back the clock to a time when truckers were extorted and exploited under the guise of port access facilitation.
“We are aware that certain individuals are orchestrating a smear campaign against the Eto system. Let it be known that these detractors are predominantly beneficiaries of the discredited manual system, now rendered obsolete by automation.
“Their interest lies in reversing the clock to a time when truckers were extorted and exploited under the guise of port access facilitation.
“It is ironic, and frankly disgraceful, that those who once charged N250,000 to N300,000 for truck entry now accuse the N21,500 Eto system of being fraudulent.
“If they genuinely cared for truckers’ interests, they would have implemented a fair and transparent system during their tenure,” the Secretary-General stated.
He urged all members of the trucking community to remain vigilant, emphasizing that the call-up automation is here to stay and they must resist all attempts to undermine the progress it represents.
