Restriction on movement: Drivers withdraw trucks from Lagos roads

In apparent protest against the order by Lagos State Government that trucks and articulated vehicles should only move within the Lagos metropolis between the hours of 9pm and 6am, truck drivers in the state, on Thursday, began to withdraw their services from the ports.

The restriction order was handed down by the state government following an accident involving a container truck which claimed three lives at Ojuelegba.

Truck drivers under the aegis of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners, AMATO, and the National Association of Road Truck Owners said that they would withdraw their trucks from the road with immediate effect over the restriction directive.

Speaking with The Punch over the development, the Chairman of AMATO, Chief Remi Ogungbemi, said it was difficult for members to comply with the state directive on the restriction due to security reasons.

He said: “This is why we have decided to withdraw our services with immediate effect until normalcy returns. The state policy restricting trucks movement to the night would be hard to comply with because the safety of our trucks, drivers and the cargoes cannot be guaranteed.

“Hijackers are hijacking trucks with goods till date. So, if we move at night, hijacking will become more rampant.”

According to Ogungbemi, the warehouses and factories where the cargoes are discharged by the truck drivers don’t operate at night, adding also that the state government has not earmarked anywhere to serve as a park for truck drivers.

He said: “There is no designated truck park where we can stay until we can be allowed to move. All these infrastructures have to be put in place before they can start implementing such a policy. As it is, the current situation will have a negative effect on the economy of the nation.”

It will be recalled that the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Mr. Oluseyi Whenu, had on Sunday said the movement of trucks between 6am and 9pm contravened Section 2 (i) (ii) of the Lagos State Road Traffic Law and vowed that erring drivers would be summarily dealt with.

Whenu said: “The state government will henceforth go tough on any trailer and long vehicle that contravened the law as such vehicle will be impounded and made to pay the stipulated fine accordingly.”