…Failed truck coordination fuels

Ago Palace Gridlock — AMATO

Residents, workers, and motorists along Ago Palace Way in Lagos are once again counting their losses as persistent truck-induced gridlock around the inland terminal corridor has turned what should be short journeys into exhausting three-hour ordeals.

For many road users, the return of heavy truck traffic to the axis has become more than an inconvenience; it is a daily struggle affecting livelihoods, productivity, health, and family life.

On a typical weekday morning, vehicles crawl bumper-to-bumper from the Okota end of Ago Palace Way towards the terminal area as hundreds of trucks compete for limited road space, leaving commuters stranded for hours.

Mrs. Funke Adeyemi, a banker who lives in Okota and works on Lagos Island, said she now leaves home before dawn to avoid spending half her day in traffic.

“I used to get to my office in less than an hour. These days, I can spend between two and three hours on Ago Palace Way because of the trucks. By the time I get to work, I am already exhausted. When I close from work, the same situation awaits me,” she lamented.

Similarly, Mr. Chinedu Okafor, a businessman who operates in Festac Town, described the traffic situation as “a nightmare that keeps getting worse.”

“Last week, I spent almost three hours covering a distance that should normally take 20 minutes. Customers become frustrated when deliveries are delayed. The economic impact is huge, but nobody seems to be paying attention to what residents are going through,” he said.

Commercial transport operators are also feeling the pressure.

According to Mr. Sulaimon Bello, a commercial bus driver who plies the Ago Palace–Festac route, the gridlock has reduced the number of trips he can make daily.

“Before now, I could make several trips and earn enough to support my family. Today, one trip can take over two hours because trucks occupy sections of the road. We burn more fuel and make less income,” he explained.

Investigations by Vanguard who visited the area revealed that the congestion is linked to the increasing presence of trucks servicing terminals located outside the Apapa Port corridor. Stakeholders argue that inadequate traffic management and poor coordination of truck movements have contributed significantly to the recurring gridlock.

When contacted, the General Secretary of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), Sani Mohammed, said efforts had previously been made to develop a coordinated truck call-up system to regulate the movement of trucks from off-dock terminals, including those operating along Ago Palace Way.

According to him, there was an understanding that terminals located outside the Apapa Port environment would communicate the exact number of trucks required for cargo evacuation at any given time.

Stakeholders believed the arrangement would help prevent unnecessary truck build-up on access roads and reduce traffic congestion.

However, the association noted that the initiative failed to gain traction.

“There was an idea that terminals outside Apapa Port, including the one at Ago Palace, should always indicate the number of trucks needed to evacuate cargo so that traffic could be effectively managed,” he explained.

“Unfortunately, the idea did not succeed. There are vested interests benefiting from the traffic situation, making it difficult to achieve proper coordination.”

The association further maintained that terminal operators have a responsibility to provide effective traffic management mechanisms around their facilities. According to Mohammed, terminal owners should employ dedicated traffic control personnel and establish holding bays capable of preventing trucks from spilling onto public roads. (Vanguard)

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