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By Steve Agbota
Truck owners under the aegis of National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) have decried 500 per cent increase in the price of diesel and other lubricants like engine oil and other spare parts affecting haulage operations in the country.
Speaking with Daily Sun yesterday at Apapa office, the Lagos State Vice Chairman, Dry Cargo section, Abdullahi Mohammed Inuwa said that truck owners are really facing hard time now because there is no job for them to do anymore due to rising cost of diesel and 60 per cent drop in importation.
“Actually, the truck owners and the drivers we are really in hard time now because there is no job. Over 60 per cent of the importation into the country has dropped. The cost of diesel has increased by over 500 per cent and other lubricants.
“Apart from that, coupled with multiple taxation along the major roads even before coming into port access roads, this has also contributed to the current challenges we are facing right now. So we are really facing hard time.
“The drivers are not seeing job to do. Truck owners whatever they charge is what they take, which is not even enough to run the cost of their trucks because the frieght rate now is like demand and supply. The demand is less. When the supply is less, then the demand of trucks from the consignees is less. So the price is so less. So why will you come and buy diesel three times of what you are buying before,” he lamented.
According to him, that is why so many truck owners who have other means of business preferred packing their trucks and face other means of survival.
On considering to increase cost of movement of haulage, he said, “yes, we can’t continue without finding a way out, if there is no increament in the calling, definitely, everybody will park. We just had a meeting and deliberated to meet our national body to cryout for them to do the needful for the increment.
“But we will follow the procedure before increasing the haulage cost. Before we do any other thing, we have to channel it to our national leadership to look into it and reason why we want that,” he explained.
He said the national president at the wet cargo section has cried out to the Federal Government for the increment because of the cost of diesel and other things, adding that it has been approved by almost 25 per cent.
“Then when our national president at the wet cargo cried to Federal Government, diesel was about around N300 to N400. Now, it has gone to above N600. Government must do something about it so that people can continue with their businesses,” he added.
