The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Transport

  • Custom, transport owners may clash over tariff

    Custom, transport owners may clash over tariff

    The Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) has vowed to resist any further attempt to impound their registered vehicles with the guise of no customs duty by men of the Nigerian Customs Services (NCS).

    Speaking with The Nation in Abuja, the association’s National President, Alhaji Shehu Isiwele Musa noted that Customs personnel have been stopping and apprehending vehicles from his members on the highways even after the Vehicle Inspectorate Office (VIO) have duly registered the vehicles.

    He, however, raised some questions about the propriety of impounding the same vehicles that ordinarily passed through all customs borders in the first place.

    He described the act as part of the corrupt practices that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration must eradicate.

    The RTEAN boss however advised that the NCS could partner with the VIO to ask the latter to insist that vehicle owners produce their customs duty before registration.

    “That is why I’m asking when the cars passed the borders where was customs? The vehicles are in the markets why not go to the dealers to ask them to get the duty before selling them?

    “Then they leave those ones to embarrass our boys who at times even buy on hire purchase. They have no money to buy cars so they buy hire purchase so that they will be working and pay for it. Unfortunately, Customs will now impound it. So, we want the government to look into this and put a stop to it.”

    As part of his agenda for the new government, Musa advised the administration to reintroduce tollgates for revenue generation, especially now that oil revenue is declining.

    He also suggested that the gates must have automatic vending machines as measures for guarding against diversion of the proceeds into private pocket.

    According to him, government could spend the proceeds on road construction and rehabilitation instead of shopping for funds to fix them.

    He tasked the government on building highway motor parks where tired drivers could stop to pass a night and freshen up before proceeding on his journey to avoid accident from exhaustion.

    He described weighbridge as “a scale that every vehicle must climb before proceeding to load and after loading come for the paper so that when you reach another 50kilometer you also climb the scale. This is to prevent a driver from carrying additional or excess luggage that could burst the vehicles tyres on the way.”

  • DPR to implement gas transport code

    The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), yesterday in Lagos, said it will issue licenses to  shippers, agents, suppliers, and other operators whose roles are crucial to the implementation of the Nigerian Gas Transportation Network Code (NGTNC) soon.

    The code is a set of rules designed to guide the transportation  or movement of natural gas from producers  to users across the  value chain.

    Speaking at a stakeholders  forum  on the implementation of the Nigerian  Gas  Transportation  Network Code, the Director, DPR, George Osahon said  the code would stimulate gas investment, ensure transparency in the gas industry,  fair and non-discriminatory access to the gas industry, gas trading promotion among others.

    Osahon, who was represented at the event by the Deputy Director, Gas Monitoring and Regulation, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Entigha Ekaluo said the forum was organized to seek the inputs of stakeholders in the value chain on the issue of transporting gas to domestic users such as power firms, fertilizers, petrochemical companies among others that use natural gas as a major component in their production.

    He said DPR will implement the codes in three phases, stressing that the agency would do manual implementation in 2015, transits to auto implementation in 2016 and embark on full auto implementation in 2017.

    Osahon explained that funding and infrastructure are the two problems that are going to hamper the implementation of the code.

  • Govt to privatise transport sector

    Govt to privatise transport sector

    The privatisation of the  transport sector would soon begin, Director-General, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Benjamin Dikki, has said.

    In a statement in Abuja, the bureau’s Acting Head, Public Communications, Mr. Alex Okoh, said the process would begin as soon as the necessary legal and regulatory frameworks were put in place.

    According to the statement, once this is done, the transport sector will become a viable investment destination for investors from across the globe. It noted that the bureau was concerned with the viability of the transport sector because it was critical to the growth of the nation’s economy.

    “We don’t want to repeat the mistake we made during the port reform. Before embarking on the reform of any sector, we will ensure that the legal and regulatory frameworks are in place.

    “That is why for the transport sector, we have all the seven draft bills undergoing approval process by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), after which they will be transmitted to the National Assembly for passage. From the assurances we are getting from the various stakeholders, these bills will be passed soon,” the statement said.

  • National Council on Transport and Road Safety

    National Council on Transport and Road Safety

    The 2014 National Council on Transport (NCT) meeting has come and gone but there are some lessons from and for the Council for the enhancement of road safety in Nigeria.

    The deliberations and resolutions of the council are very rich and promising if well implemented by all the concerned stakeholders.

    At the Council meeting, the longstanding logjams between the Federal Road Safety, state governments, VIOs, and driving schools are eventually moving towards a lasting solution. This is indeed a remarkable and commendable achievement at the NCT meeting in Enugu.

    However, the progress report presented by some state governments and other stakeholders clearly affirmed the point I have stressed severally that, Nigeria is very good in policy-making but very poor and uncommitted in the implementation of same.

    It is disheartening that some state governments did not attend the council meeting, several came one or two days into the five-day meeting while many of the states represented were still promising to implement the 2013 resolutions of the council. No wonder, the transport sector in Nigeria is crawling and the rate of accident is still embarrassingly high due to lack of commitment by the stakeholders.

    My fear and question now is, will the state governments and other stakeholders be more committed to complete the implementation of their backlogs as well as the 2014 resolutions?

    It is time for all levels of  government (Federal, State and Local) as well as other stakeholders such as the Federal Road Safety Commission, Vehicle Inspection Officers and the driving schools among others, to get much more committed to the promotion of the transportation system and road safety in Nigeria.

    The consequences of road accidents and fatalities directly and indirectly affect the governments, organisations, families and individuals.

    My prayer is that none of the 2014 National Council on Transport resolutions will be denied the right attention and implementation so that Nigeria can move further up the ladder of transportation and road safety in the global and continental ratings.

     

  • Road accidents will remain high if…(3)

    • Government (Federal and States) must adequately fund their road and traffic management agencies to ensure the availability of all the infrastructure  and equipment needed to facilitate safety and security on all roads in Nigeria both in the day and in the night. How long will it take us to be among the countries with good roads, safety cameras on highways, Breathalyzer or Alcolizers for detecting drunk or drugged Drivers, Middle and Side road markings, adequate and appropriate road traffic signs among others?

    • Regular Transport and Safety Conference – There is a need for an annual conference of all Stakeholders by the Federal Ministry of Transport where all issues touching road safety will be regularly addressed for input into the Federal, states and local government programmes to further enhance safety and security on Nigeria roads. I am very confident that if the above and allied issues are looked into without bias by the Federal and state governments and other agencies, there will be drastic reduction in the rate of road traffic crashes and fatalities thereby improving the global rating of Nigeria.

    • Inattention to other road users – As at today in Nigeria, there has been no serious focus on the training and re – raining of motorcycle (Okada) and tricycle (KeKe NAPEP) riders. Without doubt, these categories of the mode of transportation carry the highest volume of passengers in some parts of every state in Nigeria including the Federal Capital Territory. They also have the highest rate of accidents and fatalities. Why then are the governments not taking proactive actions to prevent these loses? The ban of okada from the cities and their replacement with tricycles are mere policy decorations or rhetorics which is far from solving the problems.

    • Imagine a situation where officers of Federal Road Safety Commission, Vehicle Inspection Departments (VIOs), Nigeria Police Force, Traffic Police Officers (Yellow Fever), Highway Patrol Officers, State Traffic Management Officers (LASTMA in Lagos State, TRACE in Ogun State, etc), Military Officers, Joint Task Force, and the state/local government revenue collectors do stop vehicles to check all the particulars and drivers licence with the main goal of extorting money from the drivers and in some cases from the passengers who are traders transporting their goods. Ask some commercial and private drivers on plying intra and inter – state roads how many points they are stopped, checked by the officers of these agencies and drained of money, oftentimes within an interval of less than one kilometer.

     

  • COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT: Reduce these speed breakers

    COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT: Reduce these speed breakers

    Let me use this opportunity to thank the ministry which provided speed breakers on Peace Estate Road in Ikola, Command, Ipaja, Lagos.

    God will continue to bless all the government officials working there. I am calling on other government officials to emulate the good deed of these officials.

    But there is a problem with the breakers. They are too high and as a result of this, our cars and other vehicles are being damaged as they pass through them. They also engender discomfort for commuters and motorists.

    I am, therefore, calling on the ministry to please reduce the breakers in the interest of all the road users.

    Oluwole,

    Ikola,

    Ipaja, Lagos.

  • FG set to evolve world class transport system

    FG set to evolve world class transport system

    ​The Federal Government is set to evolve a world class transportation system that will position the country as a hub in the West and Central Africa.

    Speaking at the 12th Intermodal Africa 2014 Exhibition and Conference held in Lagos Thursday, the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar said the government is determined to establish a safe, efficient, affordable and seamless intermodal transport system in line with global best practices while creating an enabling environment for Public Private Partnership (PPP).

    Over 700 participants attended the event.

    The promotion of Inter-modalism, he said, envisages among others the connection of all state capitals, Sea ports, Airports and River Ports with railway lines to complement the existing road infrastructure across the country.

    The Ministry of Transport, he said, granted approval for the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to host the exhibition and conference as a reflection of Federal Government’s efforts and determination to showcase the programmes and projects being undertaken under the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.

    The Maritime Sector, the minister said, remains a key sector of the economy, whose enormous potential deserves continuous harnessing in order to meet the expectation of the government and the people.

    “Over the last two years, Nigeria has been carrying out a number of reform measures aimed at enhancing the operational efficiency in the various ports. For instance 24 hours operation has been achieved in the Lagos Ports where more than 60 per cent of our port activities take place. For the long term, the Federal Government is making concerted efforts towards ensuring the development of Deep Sea Ports in the Country. This is the ultimate solution to the current port congestion as the cargo handling are presently beyond their designed capacities.

    “The Federal Government has recently approved the Development of the Lekki Deep Sea Port here in Lagos which is expected to handle bigger vessels, and also create employment. The Port is to be developed under Public Private Partnership (PPP),” he said.

    ​In the area of maritime safety and security, the minister said, the partnership between the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the private sector is yielding positive results.

    The Federal Government, he added, has granted approval to NIMASA for the removal of wrecks and derelicts on a ‘no-cure-no-pay’ basis in order to provide for safe navigation within our waterways.

    In his speech, the Managing Director NPA, Mallam Habib Abdullahi urged the participants to key into the Federal Government programmes by investing in the transport sect.

    The potential of the sector, Abdullahi said is enormous and called for synergy between the government and the private investors to promote the transport sector and boost the economy.

  • Transport Commission coming

    Transport Commission coming

    The Federal Government has said plans to establish National Transport Commission are at advanced stage.

    Receiving a delegation of Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), led by its National President, Malam Mohammed Garba, in his office last Monday, the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, said the commission would be the regulatory authority in the sector.

    Umar, who said the bill would soon be sent to the National Assembly, added that the commission would address the challenges and coordinate the activities of the sector.

    He said the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) has been mandated to act as the regulatory body, pending the passage of the bill.

    The minister, who stressed the need for continued partnership between the media and the government, said the media tour organised by the Minister of Information was an eye opener, as it enabled media practitioners to see the administration’s achievements across all sectors of the economy.

    ”You and your colleagues have seen infrastructural development of our nation in recent time during the Good Governance Tour,” he stated.

    He affirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to completing the Eastern rail line before the end of the year.

    Umar added that the completion of Abuja-Kaduna modernisation rail project would benefit Abuja and Kaduna State residents, noting that the rail will increase the flow of passengers between Abuja and Kaduna. “You can be working in Abuja and be living in Kaduna,” he said.

    He promised to ensure the adequate safety of high speed double gauge Abuja and Kaduna rail system, noting that the rail track will be protected by high fencing and other safety measures.

    He expressed his appreciation to the NUJ delegation for the visit, praising the media for its patriotism. He assured its members of government’s support and cooperation.

    Earlier, Garba, said his team was in the ministry to drum support and solidarity and to praise him for the transformation of the transport sector in the last three years.

  • ‘There’s need to strengthen regulation on transport’

    ‘There’s need to strengthen regulation on transport’

    Chief Cyprian Arinze is Chairman/Chief Executive, Eagle Haulage Nigeria Limited, a major hauler. He speaks on the pros and cons of the business in this interview with Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf

    IS haulage business regulated?

    Haulage business is supposed to be a regulated business in the sense that there are bodies responsible for this regulation. We have the Nigerian Shippers’ Council; we have NARTO, and other several unions. But the outcome of these meetings has not been yielding the required dividends.

    Elsewhere, there are bodies that also regulate the operators and things work.

    So, how then do operators manage to get things done?

    The thing is that most people that make up these unions are not themselves operators in the true sense of the word and so they are not receiving the pains as it were.

    I also want to heap part of the blames on the owner-operators themselves. This sounds self-indicting, but I must admit that the exposure among many of us as far as the business is concerned is still very low.

    There are a few things that should naturally accrue to us as stakeholders in this sector because this is the whole essence of paying taxes and other such levies to the different agencies of government at all levels, but since we don’t seem to be organised as a union, we are not accessing these.

    I strongly agree that it is only through the umbrella of a body that we can get these things. So, lack of effective leadership at the level of the union is affecting us.

    Could you be more specific?

    I’m not just talking as a fleet owner. I have been privileged to represent the country at truck conventions abroad, at Networking USA (NUSA), which holds in Dallas, USA, every first week in August. It is usually three days of intensive symposium, where we learn about corporate haulage, good road networks, maintenance culture, insurance, Goods In transit (GIT) to cover their goods, drivers’ attitude, etc.

    We also visit big transporters abroad to see how things work.

    When we came back in 2007, we started sensitising people on the benefits of taking an insurance policy and all that. When you contracted your policy in Nigeria, it is hard to make claims but I was able to sensitise other stakeholders.

    With the best practice in USA, Canada and elsewhere one has been opportune to see, today, I’m very glad to tell you that 80 per cent of the major truckers I know now have GTI, unlike in the recent past.

    When you get a contract to haul goods, what you do is that you go to the manufacturers who will customise the appropriate one for you. For instance, if the tonnage you require is 20, they won’t give you 40 and so on.

    As long as they certify that contract, the manufacturers sell the vehicles to you on credit for you to be paying back gradually.

    Here, it is not just possible because of a number of factors. There are no good roads anywhere. Unlike elsewhere, you can buy a brand new truck and expect it to remain in top shape for at least 15-20 years. But here, a brand new truck, if you are lucky, can serve only you for a maximum of three-four years because there are no adequately trained drivers. Kudos to Lagos State government, that has started training drivers now. But they are just pooling resources together as individuals unlike what obtains abroad where operators can readily access facility as and when due to drive their business.

    What about the capital outlay to start a new haulage business?

    It depends. But I believe that there must be days of little beginning. It depends on the vision of the operator. Like me, I started off with one truck but today we have over 200 and we have even diversified to clearing and forwarding and the rest of them just to be a one-stop shop for everything that has to do with haulage right from the port to your destination.

    To start a haulage business, you need at least 10 trucks. You need to have trained drivers and you have to give your drivers customised training that suits the peculiarities of the business because in haulage business each client is different and as such should be treated on a case-by-case basis. You cannot therefore adopt a one-size fits all formula.

    On steps owners can take to safeguard their investment

    There are quite a few numbers of steps to take to curtail incidence of theft. What some of the major haulers do is to customise their tyres so that it cannot be sold elsewhere. Before you employ any driver, ensure to run a proper check on them and try to get a guarantor who can be held liable should anything untoward happen. And a guarantor, who doesn’t want his or her name to be tarnished, would ensure that the driver he or she is guaranteeing behaves above board.

  • Transportation

    The rate of road crashes and fatalities in Nigeria is alarming and calls for a more proactive intervention. Based on my research I am bold to say that Nigeria has the worst and most unregulated transport system globally.

    You may want to tell me that the Nigeria Standards Organisations of Nigeria (SON) with other government agencies are controlling the standards of vehicles in Nigeria. How then that we still have right hand vehicles being brought into the country and even driven on the roads? How come vehicles without an air bag are being sold in Nigeria?

    You may also want to tell me that the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) is monitoring the standards and use of vehicles on the roads. If so, you are right But how come vehicles with worn out tyres, are still plying the roads with impunity. How come vehicles meant for two passengers on a roll still packing three or four on the same roll? How come we still see vehicles (including articulated vehicles) plying the roads with incomplete or without front and back lights. On different occasions, I have taken pictures of highly defective vehicles that could be compared with nothing but moving caskets still plying the roads despite the presence of FRSC officials on the roads.

    I have travelled to all the states and I can say it with authority that some drivers still pack two or three passengers at the front making four or three with the driver and they even wave or shake hands with the FRSC officials and Police officers without molestation.

    It is in this countryt that you see people being transported in Trailers like animals, sometimes sitting up high on loads. It is in Nigeria that you see vehicles not roadworthy by all standards, still carrying on inter state transport service. It is in Nigeria that you see vehicle conductors standing on the side or tail board of a bus throughout the length of the trip. It is in Nigeria that you see a motorcycle conveying three passengers on the road.

    It is in Nigeria that you see drivers tell you that nobody can challenge him for not using a seat belt. It is in Nigeria that you see a tricycle rider allowing a passenger to sit with him in a seat meant for only the rider. It is only in Nigeria that you see VIPs breaking the speed limit laws with impunity. If the originally set speed limits have become outdated, why not set new ones in line with realities of vehicle technology and driving environment?

    It is in Nigeria that you see overloaded trucks moving dangerously on the roads. It is in Nigeria that vehicles are being turned to moving home theatre, disturbing the peace of some passengers.

    It is in Nigeria that you see a passenger sitting on the laps of a driver while driving and at the same time, having two passengers on the seat meant for only one passenger beside the driver.

    It is in Nigeria that drivers don’t observe lane rules, particularly when there is traffic jam (go- slow). It is in Nigeria that drivers deliberately disobey the traffic signs, signals and road markings. It is in Nigeria that you see drivers disrespecting Road traffic officers because they know that they can always settle the officers with money irrespective of the gravity of the offence committed. Hence the persistently high rate of avoidable road crashes and fatalities on Nigeria roads.

    The road traffic management authorities at the Federal and State levels must get more committed, unbiased and incorruptible, particularly in enforcement. All of road users must also be more patriotic, obedient and incorruptible of compliance to the traffic rules and regulations. If we are all talking of wiping out corruption from Nigeria, we should know that disobedience to traffic rules is an act of corruption whether you believe it or not. It is time we develop and generally imbibe the right driving and safety culture that will be passed to generations yet unborn. It must be forward ever and backward never in standards