A fresh effort is underway to bring more order to Lagos’ busy port corridors as the Lagos State Trucks and Cargo Operations Committee (LASTCOC) begins a sanitation exercise targeting extortion, unnecessary delays and non-compliance by truck operators.
According to eye witness, the exercise started last week and will continue for several days along major port access routes. LASTCOC said the move followed complaints from truckers about repeated checks and unauthorised demands for money at different points along the routes.
Focus on illegal collections
LASTCOC spokesperson, Mordecai Seyi, said the exercise is not intended to stop legitimate security, regulatory or operational checks.
Instead, the committee wants to prevent legitimate checkpoints from being used to demand unauthorised payments from truck drivers.
The committee is also looking into situations where several checkpoints perform similar functions, creating repeated stops and delays for truckers.
LASTCOC said it is documenting complaints, locations and reported demands for money so that credible cases can be investigated and referred to the appropriate authorities.
Night operations also under watch
The committee said the exercise will not be limited to daytime operations. Mechanisms are being put in place to capture and verify complaints of alleged extortion occurring at night.
At the same time, truck owners and drivers have been warned against parking or queuing on port access roads without a genuine truck call-up or legitimate operational reason.
According to LASTCOC, unnecessary parking can worsen congestion, obstruct traffic and create additional opportunities for extortion.
The exercise is being carried out with stakeholders including the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Association of Maritime Truck Owners and Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria.
LASTCOC said the intervention builds on measures introduced over the past two years to address extortion and improve the movement of trucks across Lagos.
With thousands of businesses depending on efficient movement of goods through Lagos ports, stakeholders will be watching to see whether the exercise can reduce delays, improve compliance and make cargo movement more predictable.
