The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) is collaborating with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to establish modern traffic management to eliminate congestion in Lagos ports.

Executive Secretary of the NSC, Mr. Hassan Bello, said this in an interview, on Wednesday, in Abuja.

According to him, only 1, 500 trucks are needed every day at the ports but on a daily basis about 5, 000 trucks get access to the port which causes the traffic.

He said that with the modern traffic management, a specific number of trucks could only gain access to the ports because it would be electronically-controlled.

“We are working with the NPA on modern traffic management at the ports.

“The problem with the ports is that along the Lagos logistics wing, which is Tin-Can, Apapa ports to Orile, everyday, you have about 5, 000 trucks and what we need is about 1, 500 trucks.

Bello said that because the trucks had access to the ports, they went in there doing nothing.

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He said that with the modern traffic management which would be electronically -controlled, no truck would have access to the ports unless it had cargo to either discharge or load.

“I think NPA has gone far discussing with the people. Where we have electronic gates’ access to the ports, there will be certain areas where the trucks will be unless they are called,’’ the executive secretary said.

Bello, however, said that “if that is done, it would ease the traffic situation, which the NPA is handling’’.

He said that by June, the construction of Inland Containers Depot in Jos would commence and operations of Kaduna Inland Port would also kick off.

“We just signed an agreement few months ago and construction will start in Jos by June and there will be milestone achievements.

“The Kaduna Inland Port will start operations by June. We are working hard to see that this is realised,’’ Bello said. (NAN)