Amaechi: FG to Establish Truck Transit Parks on Major Roads

By Kasim Sumaina in Abuja

In an attempt to curb the menace of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) on the federal highway corridors, the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Ameachi, on Tuesday disclosed that the federal government is set to establish truck transit parks on major routes and roads within the country.

Amaechi, while declaring open a two-day National Summit on the Establishment, Management and Operation of Truck Transit Parks in Nigeria, in Abuja said although the present administration was addressing railways transportation frontally through the construction of new standard gauge rail lines, but road haulage will for sometime continue to be the major means for long distance transportation of commodities.

According to the minister, “The high statistics of road accidents and loss of cargo occasioned by bad road is of concern to the government.

“Therefore, the federal government plans over the next couple of years to develop truck transit parks at Lokoja in Kogi State, Obollo-Afor in Enugu State, Ogere in Ogun State, Jebba in Kwara State, and Port Novo Creek in Lagos State as an alternative strategy to address the menace of truck congestion at the seaports in Apapa and Port Harcourt.”

These, he stated, are meant to complement the Ore Sunshine City in Ondo State and the ones being processed by the Kaduna State Government at Mararaban Jos, Buruku and Tapa on the Kaduna-Abuja highway.

Details later…