IPMAN, Tanker Drivers Protest Lagos Govt’s Hike in Parking Fees, Warn of Fuel Price Increase

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and various tanker driver associations have embarked on a protest against the Lagos State Government’s recent hike in the electronic call-up parking fee for trucks along the Lekki-Epe corridor. The associations are warning that the new charge of ₦12,500 per truck, up from the previous ₦2,500, is unsustainable and could lead to a significant increase in petrol pump prices across the state.

The protest, which commenced with a suspension of loading activities along the crucial Lekki-Epe axis – home to facilities like the Dangote Refinery and Lekki Deep Seaport – aims to pressure the Lagos government to revert to the initial fee. According to Chinedu Ukadike, IPMAN’s National Publicity Secretary, stakeholders had previously agreed on a ₦2,500 charge as a more realistic and bearable cost for marketers and transporters.

Truck operators, including the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), have criticized the hike as economically insensitive, especially amidst prevailing economic challenges. While supporting the electronic call-up system’s objective of regulating truck movement and easing congestion, they argue that the current fee is excessive and could cripple their operations.

The Lagos State Government, however, maintains that the ₦12,500 levy is not revenue-driven but is intended to recover costs incurred in building facilities aimed at averting gridlocks and environmental pollution in the area. Discussions between the protesting bodies and Lagos State Government officials are reportedly ongoing, as fears of fuel scarcity loom if a mutually agreeable resolution is not reached swiftly.