Truck Drivers Withdraw Services In Lagos After Ban

Can you imagine these people instead looking for a lasting solution with the government,so you now see the need for safety within your comfort zone,world people una try!!!  

Truck drivers on Thursday began to withdraw their services from the ports in protest over the restriction of their movements to the night-time by the Lagos State Government.Following an accident involving a container truck which claimed three lives at Ojuelegba, the Lagos State Government announced the restriction of truck movement within the metropolis to between 9pm – 6am.

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

Ogungbemi added that the warehouses and factories where the cargoes are discharged by the truck drivers don’t operate at night. He said no place had been earmarked by the state government 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.”

The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Mr. Oluseyi Whenu, had on Sunday said the movement of trucks between 9pm and 6am 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.The section of the state traffic law bars trailers from travelling within the Lagos metropolis between 6am and 9pm. It states that “any driver found contravening the provisions of this section shall have his vehicle impounded by a duly authorised officer of the authority and shall upon conviction be liable to a fine of N50,000 or a term of imprisonment for six months or both.”

Source:Punch