Transporters support FG’s road concession proposal

Transporters have expressed support for the concession of roads in various parts of the country.

The Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners on Monday conveyed the support via a statement, adding that the best global practice for road maintenance was through the concession of roads.

About 12 highways have been reportedly penciled down for concession by the Federal Government.

NARTO in the statement issued in Abuja on Monday by its Executive Secretary, Aloga Ogbogo, urged the government to go ahead with the planned concession of some roads so as to attract the required investments.

He said, “We urge that there should be some level of concession so that the private sector can invest on the roads for better maintenance.”

The NARTO secretary also called on the Federal Government to establish a transport development bank, with a transport regulatory body to monitor the operations of the industry.

Ogbogo said, “It should be noted that commerce and industry cannot thrive without transportation.

“We are requesting that a Transport Development Bank should be packaged to assist transporters.”

On the need for a regulatory body, he said, “The road transport sub-sector that is responsible for the movement of close to 90 per cent of goods and passengers in Nigeria does not have a regulatory body. It is an all comers’ affair.”

The association noted that while the Federal Government engaged the services of NARTO to distribute COVID-19 palliatives to other sectors of the economy, nothing of such was extended to transporters.

It asked the government to give the sector some relief materials to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.