Truck owners during business
in the nation’s seaports have called on the Federal Government to establish a transport bank so as to grow and sustain the sub-sector.
The truck owners under the aegeis of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) said they need a bank that would offer them loans at a reasonable rate so that they can sustain their business and grow the transport industry.
Chairman of AMATO, Chief Remi Ogungbemi who disclosed this in Lagos, said the maritime association will woo and seek partnership with government through available media to address the issue.
“His words: We need a transport bank where we can have access to loans to maintain our trucks and do our business professionally. The truth is that it is only then that there can be a change in the face of all the challenges facing the sub-sector. But we hope that the government will not wait for us to withdraw our services before they look into our request.”
According to Ogungbemi, the use of taskforce by government to address the issue of broken down trucks on roads is becoming unbearable, stressing that government should partner with AMATO to acquire new and durable trucks.
“Stressing up a taskforce is not the solution. It is a mere cosmetic that cannot heal the wounds. It is only important that the necessary infrastructure be put in place,” the chairman said.
He explained that members had continued to operate with rickety trucks because of the huge taxes imposed on them by various government agencies.
“Most of the trucks operating are in rickety condition and these things are happening because truck owners are losing their proceeds to officials who claim to work for different levels of government.
Some officials of local governments hang around corners and fabricate offences and make the truck owners to pay different fines. Some come around with all types of stickers for different local government areas across the country. But we have started working to ensure these loopholes are blocked,”  Ogungbemi said.