An Assessment of Apapa Port Access
Chapter One
Aim and Objectives of the Study
The aim of this study is to critically analyze the conflicts that occur within an intersection from the conflict point of view and try to explain what happens and why at the three intersections at Apapa. In the same vein, the study will focus on the safety of those intersections, the levels of control and the capacity of those intersections to control traffic. The aim of this study is to critically evaluate accessibility to Lagos port. The objectives are to:
- Determine the traffic characteristics;
- Traffic congestion; and
- Determine the points of conflicts in Apapa carry out traffic counts and determine its flow along these intersections.
- Propose alternative modal choice at relieving the traffic madness in and out of Apapa.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
Our focus in this chapter is to critically examine relevant literature that would assist in explaining the research problem and furthermore recognize the efforts of scholars who had previously contributed immensely to similar research. The chapter intends to deepen the understanding of the study and close the perceived gaps.
Precisely, the chapter will be considered in three sub-headings:
- Conceptual Framework
- Theoretical Framework
- Chapter Summary
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Overview Of Ports
Ports more than ever before are important nodes in logistics chains. On the one hand, they are important as their core activity, loading and unloading of goods, is key to international trade and transport of goods. On the other hand, they are also important as their activity represents a relatively large share in the total chain cost. For these reasons, port activity is increasingly required to fit perfectly into the logistics chains of which seaports are an integral part. In practice, this is by far not always the case. One of the important phenomena preventing a match between ports and their logistics chains is congestion. It speaks for itself that congestion will have a detrimental impact on the generalised cost and on the overall transport or throughput performance. After all, to a shipping company, congestion implies time loss and thus a higher generalised cost. However, congestion is also problematic for the other port actors. Vessels whose arrival at berth is delayed through congestion may be difficult to fit into the loading and unloading schedule of the terminal operator. This will have implications for capacity management and result in higher costs. The same holds for other actors, including in the fields of storage and hinterland transportation. Moreover, a knockon effect may be felt elsewhere in the maritime transport chain: delays can have an impact on operations in other ports of call.
Congestion
Congestion implies that one transport user, i.e. a ship, impedes another. Consequently, a cost is imposed upon a third party. The busier traffic gets, the greater the imposed cost. Jansson and Shneerson (1982, p. 52) define this situation as follows: ‘Congestion costs exist if the other short-run costs of port operations, per unit of throughput, are an increasing function of the actual capacity utilization. When actual demand exceeds capacity, extreme congestion costs arise, which we call queuing costs. When a port is said to be congested, it is commonly meant that ships are queuing, waiting to obtain a berth’. Congestion costs are made up of time loss, additional fuel consumption, greater inconvenience and possibly even accidents. However, time loss is the most substantial contributing factor. An additional transport user imposes a time loss on others. The other losses are often proportional to those time losses.1 In fact, congestion costs are a negative effect of a high capacity utilisation. This means that it is necessary to calculate accurately how great a time loss an additional user imposes on third parties. This time loss may be caused in two ways: by slowing down the traffic flows or by generating a queue. In the former case, the congestion costs are calculated on the basis of speed–volume relationships, while in the latter one, it relies on queuing theory. A seaport typically has a great number of internal bottlenecks, each of which can result in a queue: pilot service, towing service, locks, loading and unloading quays, bunkering, etc. In practice, it is sheer impossible to observe every bottleneck separately in order to conduct counts, let alone impose the appropriate congestion levies (Blauwens, De Baere, & Van de Voorde, 2010).
In practice, seaport activity is a very complex affair, not in the least because so too is the port calling process. After all, it involves ships of varying sizes and is therefore not homogeneous in terms of required assistance and handling needs. There are various possibilities for substitution: between cargo, between ship and cargo, between ship and port, between terminals within a port, and between berths within a terminal. The heterogeneity of vessels and cargo has efficiency implications for cargo handling. Cargo-handling performances are influenced strongly by various external factors, irrespective of volume of traffic.4 It is the mismatch of this cargohandling activity with other activities in the logistics chain which causes port congestion. The consequence of this complexity is that congestion in a maritime and seaport context can be observed at different levels. A ship that is heading from open sea to a seaport may experience congestion consecutively in the following places or corridors, depending on the location and structure of the port:
Maritime access route: In the case of capacity restrictions, e.g. because of tide dependence, congestion may occur on the river or canal between open sea and the port. Ships often adapt their speed in open sea to the expected slot.
Locks: For vessels whose docking destination lies behind a system of locks, congestion may arise if the number of vessels wishing to use a lock is greater than the lock capacity. In practice, however, vessels do not queue outside the lock, but rather adapt their speed out on the river or canal in order to approach the lock in accordance with the expected slot.
Berths: A ship may be confronted with congestion at berths, i.e. the specific berth may be occupied because another ship is not ready to depart yet. In such situations, the waiting ship may be moored temporarily at another berth.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitute of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried out on the assessment of Apapa port access. The population of this study comprise of the staff of Apapa sea port.
SAMPLE SIZE DETERMINATION
A study sample is simply a systematic selected part of a population that infers its result on the population. In essence, it is that part of a whole that represents the whole and its members share characteristics in like similitude (Udoyen, 2019). In this study, the researcher adopted the convenient sampling method to determine the sample size.
SAMPLE SIZE SELECTION TECHNIQUE AND PROCEDURE
According to Nwana (2005), sampling techniques are procedures adopted to systematically select the chosen sample in a specified away under controls. This research work adopted the convenience sampling technique in selecting the respondents from the total population.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of sixty seven (67) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which fifty (50) were returned and all were validated. For this study a total of 50 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
Introduction
This chapter summarizes the findings on the assessment of Apapa port access. The chapter consists of summary of the study, conclusions, and recommendations.
Summary of the Study
In this study, our focus was on the assessment of Apapa port access. The study is was specifically focused on determining the traffic characteristics; traffic congestion; the points of conflicts in Apapa carry out traffic counts and determine its flow along these intersections. And propose alternative modal choice at relieving the traffic madness in and out of Apapa.
The study adopted the survey research design and randomly enrolled participants in the study. A total of 50 responses were validated from the enrolled participants where all respondent are staff in Apapa Port, Lagos State.
Conclusions
Based on the findings of this study, the researcher recommends that;
- Apapa port traffic has been known for the bunching of ships waiting on the port entry routes as a result of other ships which has occupied the available berth designated or likely to be allocated to the waiting traffic, the rise in vehicular activities owing to the population increase and economic activity and poor programming of landward access to the port via trucks scheduled arrivals at the port gate.
- With respect to the traffic congestion in Apapa port, there has been over dependence on the seaports for delivery of cargo, there has been delays attributable to lapses in the procedure for work on loading and / or unloading the ship and there has been cargo stack congestion emanating from continuous stay of cargo at the storage area beyond reasonable hours/days.
- The availability of oil tank farms also affects the level of service provided by the road and its intersections, alongside the circumstantial blockade on the marine side access routes to the port facility also result to congestion conflicts and vehicle work congestion which is associated with loading or unloading of vehicle and trucks either due to lack of requisite equipment results to congestion conflicts, all results to traffic congestion conflicts in Apapa port.
- The alternative modal choice at relieving the traffic madness in and out of Apapa include; deployment of adequate and accurate programming of ships’ arrival, anchorage and departure from the ports to avoid queuing and bunching of ships waiting around, increase in the capacity of the roads and its intersection and berth specialization should be upgraded to enhance operational efficiency of terminals and to optimize berth occupancy.
Recommendation
Based on the findings the researcher recommends that
- The authorities need to put the roads in good conditions for its efficiency.
- The government should step up their related regulatory roles of the port logistics business, provide and sensitize the usage of alternatives to road movement of cargoes.
- The use of rail and higher vessels for moving containers to both off-dock terminals and across the cities should be encouraged. Rail form of transportation should be encouraged as a means of accessing the ports.
- Additional Holding bays and Trailer parks should be created were necessary by the major stakeholders handling trucks/tankers operations in Apapa such as the Tank farms, the Ports as well as the Jetties especially the petroleum product handling jetties such as the Petroleum wharf jetty, Ibru jetties, Folawiyo jetties and others.
- A timely and fixed Apapa Major stake holders meetings should be crated especially involving major stakeholders in Apapa including companies and organizations like the Nigerian Ports Authority, Mobil, Dangote Group, Total, Nigerian Shippers, Flour Mills of Nigeria plc and the Ceddi Towers among others.
- The Rail system should be revived to be handling the containerized cargos coming through the Apapa ports as well as in the returning of empty Containers to the ports. Additionally, special wagons capable of handling some liquid cargos such as the Black oil, AGO and DPK petroleum should also be reintroduced in to the rail system so as to handle these liquid cargos as this will in pushing out many trailers and tankers coming in to operate in Apapa to convey same cargo.
- All trunk the Trunk A roads in Apapa should be rehabilitated especially the Creek road, Wharf road and others with possible expansion.
- Petroleum tank farms should be relocated from Apapa to some other locations outside Apapa because this will help drastically reduce the numbers of tankers with potential of creating congestions coming in to load in Apapa at their various tank farms.
- New government policies should be enacted encouraging the establishment of new sea ports and jetties like the Dangote deep seaport project currently ongoing at Lekki – Lagos state outside Apapa area so as to reduce the growing pressures capable of creating road congestions due to increasing import and export of goods through the Apapa ports.
REFERENCE
- Aronietis, R., Van de Voorde, E., Vanelslander, T. (2010). Port competitiveness determinants of selected European ports in the containerized cargo market. Paper presented at IAME2010.
- Bennathan, E., & Walters, A. (1979). Port pricing and investment policy for developing countries. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
- Blanchard, D. (2007). Five strategies to avoid port congestion. Industry Week. October 1.
- Blauwens, G., De Baere, P., & Van de Voorde, E. (2010). Transport Economics (4th ed.).Belgium: De Boeck Ltd.
- Chang, Q. G. (2009) “Analysis of marine container terminal gate congestion, truck waiting cost and system optimization”. New Jersey Institute of Technology (PhD. project).
- De Boeck Ltd.Jansson, J., & Shneerson, D. (1982). Port Economics. United States of America: MIT Press.
- Det Norske Veritas. (2007). Port congestion and loading speed. Retrieved from http://www.dnv.com/industry/maritime/shiptypes/orecarrier/portcongestionandloadingspeed.asp
- O. Oyaloye, et all (2011), “Application of Queueing theory to port congestion problem in Nigeria” (In European Journal of Business and Management, Vol.3, No. 8, 2011).
