Electronic-call-up system : TTP bringing sanity to Apapa port access road through technology

• NPA has 29 truck parks – Mr Temidayo
• Says 17,000 trucks can access Apapa port through ETO platform

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Apparently, the Electronic Call-up System, known as ‘ETO’, introduced by Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), is bringing sanity to Apapa port access roads, as the chaotic traffic gridlock, which was so prevalent in the past, thereby constituting national embarrassment
has disappeared completely.

At present, there is free flow of traffic at Apapa, which paves the way for port users to access the seaport for business transactions unhindered.

Our Correspondent observed that from Oyingbo axis up to Ijora corridor, and even Ijora inter-change linking the major bridge to Apapa port are now free from traffic logjam, which was a major impediment before introduction of ETO.

Our news inquest revealed that Trucks Transit Parks Limited (TTP), an independent private technology company, providing innovative truck mobility solutions is responsible for the huge success made by E-Call-Up system on Apapa roads.
TTP is the company handling operations of the Call-up system that is making the whole process very efficient.

At interactive forum with Journalists yesterday, in Lagos, the Chief Operating Officer of the Company, Mr Adeboye Temidayo, explained that TTP as solution provider is using technology to monitor the system, such that the Company can disable access of truck drivers trying to manipulate their way into the port without following due process.

He asserted : “We are using technology to check movement of empty containers. From our control room we can use timing to check and disable access of trucks with empty containers moving at the wrong time.

“We generate access code electronically and truck owners apply online. The ticket is N10,000 and has not changed since the technology was deployed. People complaining of paying more are those going through third party (middle men), to book for them, instead of doing it directly by themselves. The process is as simple as loading a recharge card in the phone”.

He revealed :
“When we started, only 9,000 trucks registered. Within one month the number increased to 60,000 and currently about 76,000,. Now, 17,000 trucks can access the port through this system because they are fully automated.”

Responding to questions on why some trucks are still seen by the roads, he said :
“At the moment, NPA has 29 truck parks that can contain over 7,500 trucks.
So, there is no excuse for any truck driver to park on the road; but some drivers still prefer parking on the road. NPA is also trying to create export processing zones to enhance efficiency in the system.

“The reality is, when you are starting something new, it takes time for people to adjust to the changes .
For instance, about 31 hectares of land at Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s truck park in Orile, Lagos, has not be fully utilised by truck drivers. because they still prefer to park on the roads.

“The good thing is that ETO is working effectively and
this has contributed to the drop in cost of transporting cargo from Apapa port. For example,
before the technology was deployed, the cost of conveying cargo from Apapa to different locations in Lagos was as high as over N1million but it has dropped drastically to about N300,000″.

On reliability of the technology in the long-run, he said :
“The Call-up platform has never been hacked.
The technology has both software and hardware. We have good security features on it.
Before now, people took our tickets to business centres to photocopy the features and use those tickets. But now, edited tickets can no longer work because we have addressed that.

“There are different categories of trucks and time for movement, so, we are adding new technology to remove human interface in the system.

” The challenges against ETO now are the on-going road construction along TinCan Port-mile-2 area; activities of petroleum tankers and tank farms operators at that axis.
The construction company did not provide palliative measures so, all the trucks are going through a single lane. Area – boys are there, the union is also on that road. So, we still have human inter-face in the system.

“We are aware that NPA has reached the Federal Government and Lagos State for the contractors to provide palliatives. Once this is done, it would reduce the problems along that axis.

“We are equally looking at bringing oil and gas operators on the call-up platform, so we are appealing to stakeholders to be patient as we tackle these challenges”

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Speaking on the future plans by TPP, the Head, Corporate Development, Mr Bolaji Akerele, disclosed that in future, the Company will go beyond providing solutions for port gates to developing technology for terminal operators.

According to him, “Also, our plan is to develop truck parks at every State in the country”.

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