FG to construct 10 truck parks across Nigeria

The Federal Government said it has completed plans to build 10 major truck transit parks across the six geo-political regions of the country.

The plan to construct truck transit parks, which is expected to be ready for operations by next year, was conceived as part of measures to address the dangers posed by heavy duty trucks and oil tankers on Nigerian roads.

Recall that about 9 persons were confirmed dead and 54 cars and commercial vehicles burnt after a petrol-laden tanker crashed and exploded at the Otedola Bridge in Lagos last week.

The Director, Road Transport and Mass Transit Unit Administration, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Anthonia Akpabio-Ekpa, who made the announcement at the 2018 Africa Transport Policy Programme in Abuja on Wednesday, said the Federal Government was working with the states and private investors on the parks.

According to her, the parks would be located along major highways in all six geopolitical zones of the country, adding that a lot of foreign and local investors had shown interest to construct the facilities.

Read Also: FG to begin classification of insurance firms

“What we have done in the past two years, which is currently ongoing, is that we have developed a proposal for truck transit parks. The parks are to be located in most of our cities and we have identified about 13 to be located across the country,” she said.

Akpabio-Ekpa stated that the transport ministry observed the lack of truck parks constituted the major challenges faced by truck drivers.

“We are partnering state governments to identify those critical areas of convergence of trucks so as to construct a huge hub where all the trucks in any given region could gather, rather than park along our roads.

“Also, another thing that the ministry did in partnership with the ERGP (Economic Recovery and Growth Plan) secretariat was to identify the private sector investors who are interested in building truck parks.

“So, our timeline is that by next year, we will have not less than 10 truck parks across the country where in each park you are going to have hotels for the truckers to rest, mechanic workshops, banks, etc.

“Investors have come from outside the country and there are many also in the country who are interested in this. And the Vice President is anxious that we engage with the investors and fast-track the construction of these truck parks,” she added.

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now