Apapa will open to traffic in October -Sanwo-Olu

By Olakunle Chris

Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has assured that All road constructions and network leading to Apapa, the nation’s port city, will be completed by October.

According to Sanwo-Olu who spoke with reporters after a tour of Apapa and all the network of roads and bridges connecting its environs, traffic being experienced in the axis will be cleared once the projects are completed.

The Governor visited the Costain bridge, Alaka bridge, Ijora bridge, Marine bridge, Liverpool, Lilipond, Mile 2 etc.

He said there was need to overhaul the entire Apapa system to improve journey time in and out.

Sanwo-Olu also disclosed that the port authority is building another port in Lekki in collaboration with Lagos State Government, which will be ready in two years to ease the pressure in Apapa.

He assured that his government, will in a methodical order, develop the whole of Apapa, to make it more attractive than it was.

“We are working with various stakeholders and we need to sit together to understand what their challenges are and how best to address the challenges.

“As a government, we have a commitment and a sense of responsibility to our people and we must bring about an operation in efficiency system, where we do not continue to experience this permanent gridlock that is typical of Apapa and also to be able to regenerate the improvement of the roads and bring proper life back to Apapa,” Sanwo-Olu said.

A poser raised by the Governor on why container-laden trucks usually disregard the State’s traffic laws and park on roads generated heated arguments among terminal operators, Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) and Maritime Transport Unions and Associations (COMTUA).

In the ensuing blame game, Sanwo-Olu expressed disapproval of the truck drivers’ action and the failure of the NPA to enforce extant regulations preventing trucks not yet approved for loading, to park indiscriminately on the highways.

The Governor stressed the need to overhaul the terminal system at the ports, noting that there was no reason for the trucks to park on the highways if their dedicated terminals were operational.

He disclosed that the State Government had made a request to the Federal Government to prevail on the concessionaire that will be operating the 700-truck capacity Lilypond Terminal at Apapa, to open the facility for use without further delay.