Apapa gridlock: Presidential task force ends operation, says job 95 percent done

The Presidential task force on the de-congestion of the gridlock in Apapa ended its operation on Friday night, saying its task was 95 percent completed before deadline.

The Presidency had, penultimate Wednesday, set up a task force, headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, to clear up the gridlock in Apapa and its environs within two weeks.

The task force was set up as a result of a presidential directive, which ordered the removal of trucks on bridges and roads in Apapa as well as the restoration of law and order in that part of Lagos State.

The directive was shared on the verified Twitter handle of the Government of Nigeria, @AsoRock.

Speaking with Journalists at the end of a five hours tour to wind down its operation on Friday night, the Vice Chairman of the task force, Kayode Opeifa, disclosed that the task given to the committee by the presidency was 95 perent completed.

Opeifa noted that the task force had also restored normalcy to the port city, and that trucks that had hitherto blocked access roads to Apapa have been removed.

He said that vehicular movement in and out of Apapa had also been restored with the evacuation of trucks from the bridges, noting that the general problem in and around Apapa would disappear in a matter of days with the new strategy put in place by the task force team.

He said that part of the strategy put in place by the team was the redirection of traffic flow into Apapa.

According to him, all trucks carrying empty containers into Apapa from Costain were directed into Lilly pond terminal from Ijora and are expected to exit the terminal with their manual call-up cards by driving under the bridge and heading towards Leventis motors to access the gate to the ports from Airways.

He noted that, because of the ongoing reconstruction at Liverpool and creek road, trucks were redirected through Eleganza en-route the ports.

He said: “The manual call-up system was designed as an immediate solution but the ultimate aim is to achieve an electronic call-up system. The electronic call-up system is being designed by the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) and it will be functional as from August, 2019.

“With the ongoing reconstruction of Creek road, it will eventually become six lane with two lanes dedicated to trucks.

“We have held meetings with APM Terminal. Their facility can only accommodate 300 trucks Tin-Can can take 1000. We identified about four other parks and their are other private own parks. We are working on how to put all into use.

“The reconstruction of Tin-Can to Oworonshoki expressway has been awarded. In a few days time, work on that axis of the road will commence. The contractor has asked that trucks be made to leave the area before they can begin. Effort is on to remove the trucks and ones that is done, work will begin”