The Nigerian Ports Authority has instructed all shipping companies operating in the country to set up designated holding bays for the storage of empty containers following a stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos on Thursday.
The companies are also tasked with coordinating the efficient return of these empty containers to the ports.
This move is aimed at alleviating congestion at the ports and improving the overall efficiency of container movements.
In a notice to all stakeholders operating in the ports, the leadership of Truck Transit Parks Limited, a partner of the NPA, responsible for managing truck movements in and out of the ports, announced that the new procedure for returning empty containers is part of a series of measures aimed at alleviating congestion at the terminals and improving port operations.
The statement also announced that the NPA has directed the immediate enforcement of the Standard Operating Procedure for the return of empty containers by all operators, aiming to ensure compliance.
According to the statement, it is now mandatory for all shipping companies to specify the designated holding bay for the return of empty containers on their Terminal Delivery Order, which truck drivers must adhere to.
The notice partly reads, “Following the outcome of the recent stakeholders’ engagement aimed at addressing the upsurge in traffic along the port corridor and the challenges it poses, the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, has modified and directed the immediate enforcement of the established Standard Operating Procedure, SOP, guiding the return of empty containers to the port by operators.
““In the light of the foregoing, henceforth, the procedure for the return of empty containers to the ports will reflect the following activities as prerequisites which in the fact that all shipping lines involved in container operations must have an empty container holding bay ( the holding bay must be approved by NPA indicating on the Eto platform) where their empty containers will be returned to by the truck driver after off-loading the contents.
“It is therefore mandatory for shipping companies to indicate on the TDO the holding bays where they want their empty containers to be returned to.
“The transferring of empty containers to the ports will be exclusively managed and coordinated by respective shipping lines in conjunction with the holding bays.
“The truck driver returning containers to ports shall comply with the time belt allocated for such purpose.”
