Transit terminals underway to check incessant tanker accidents in Lagos
Disturbed by recurring petroleum tankers accidents with their associated fires, destruction of properties and loss of lives, the Lagos government is considering the creation of transit parks and terminals to hold articulated trucks in the state.
The transit parks and terminals, according to the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-olu, would be equipped with necessary apparatus for the convenience of the drivers and operators.
The parks would leverage technology via an integrated terminal management system where tickets would be issued to tanker drivers prior to loading. The terminals, when fully operational, would bring sanity to Lagos, Sanwo-olu explained during a visual meeting involving representatives of the downstream energy sector operating in the state.
At the meeting held on Tuesday, May 19, the governor said the state would introduce and enforce an annual certification for tanker drivers and trucks that ply the Lagos roads.
Commissioner for energy and mineral resources, Olalere Odusote, who chaired the meeting on behalf of Sanwo-olu, said the purpose was to deepen safety awareness among the operators given the frequency of fatal fire incidents involving petroleum tankers in the state.
Odusote said the government would work closely with the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to monitor loading of petroleum tankers at the various loading bays in the state.
He stressed the need for the stakeholders to come up with an effective solution to the incessant tankers accidents in Lagos.
Odusote said: “The governor is keen to see that the downstream sector continues to flourish and thrive in the state, but for more harmonious relationship and better progress in the sector, all stakeholders must work within the framework of safety as provided for by the regulators and the laws of the state.”
He pledged that his ministry would continue to engage the stakeholders and ensure that optimal framework “is fully implemented to curb the tanker accidents and their attendant menace, while also informing that “already, a schedule is being drawn up the ministry to visit all of the relevant facilities in the coming weeks and months.”
Commissioner for transportation, Fredrick Abimbola Oladeinde, assured the stakeholders that all the relevant state infrastructure in support of safety measures, including vehicle testing facilities, would be made available at jointly designated locations to support the downstream transportation sector.
Sailimon Oladiti, president of Petroleum Tankers’ Drivers (PTD), said: “Lagos State government is always leading positive change, but to ensure the solutions are sustainable, similar actions must also be taken nationwide”.
Contributing, Afolabi Olufemi, the general secretary of Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), thanked the state government for bringing together the stakeholders to seek a solution to all issues raised.
While lamenting the death of their members in various incidents, he called for “compliance with set regulations and the nationalisation of the standards being set by Lagos State.”
Participants at the meeting agreed that indiscriminate parking of petroleum tankers along the roads in the state must be eradicated, and that prevention of overloading of oil products and enforcement of the road worthiness of trucks used to convey petroleum products must be diligently pursued.
They expressed their commitment to abide by the recommendations and further agreed to maintain regular dialogue with the state to ensure alignment with the vision of the Sanwo-olu’s administration to transform Lagos into a 21st century economy.