Tema fuel tanker drivers want permanent terminal

Petroleum tanker drivers arriving at the Tema Oil Refinery to lift products for distribution across the country become stranded for lack of parking lots and therefore cause danger to life and property in attempting to find space . This situation arose when they were ejected from a parking terminal initially provided by the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) but had to be ejected as a result of TOR’s inability to contain the cost in operating the terminal. According to the tanker drivers they jostle with other commercial vehicles which use the road from Kpone to Tema . When the Daily Graphic visited the refinery area m the takers had parked haphazardly posing danger to each other because of the inflammable nature of the product. The Tanker drivers called on the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), which is the regulatory body , to as a matter of urgency assist them to get a permanent transport terminal They expressed worry that ‘ a small accident can lead to a disaster and cause heavy loss as some oil tankers contain inflammable substances. "It is a disaster in waiting and we cannot allow that to happen.” they claimed. Leaders of the Ghana National Petroleum Tanker Drivers Union and the Tanker Owners Union jointly made an appeal to the authorities to help provide a safe parking space for them Ejection speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic at Tema, the Chairman of the Ghana National Petroleum Tanker Drivers Union, Mr Eric Amoako confirmed that the taker drivers previously had a parking terminal leased by TOR for use by the tankers. He said in 2013, TOR informed them of its decision to eject them as a result of a change in TOR’s business module. Mr Amoako said TOR explained that it could not afford the rising cost of the rent and therefore had the contract abrogated. He said as a result of that, since December last year, all the tankers which called at TOR and other depots to lift products had no option but to park on the streets. Mr Amoako said the narrow state of the road and the great number of vehicles that use the road everyday and to add to it, over three thousand trucks that are parked on the road poses danger to everyone. “We reckon that the current situation is very unsafe for the public. It is great nuisance to public health and safety hence our appeal to the NPA to make sure they provide a central car parking terminal so that we can be properly control and check our members to avert any disaster” he said He said prior to the ejection from the leased terminal, they had engaged the NPA to help them find alternatives area but their appeal went unheeded. Disaster waiting to happen The Executive Secretary of the Tanker Owners Union, Mr. Ignatius Doe described the current situation as very abnormal considering the number of high tension electric lines under which they park their vehicles. “You can imagine what will happen should there be any spark”, he said. He said the association has received a series of warming notices from GRIDCo urging them to stop parking trucks under the High Tension Electric Cables, but due to the unavailability of a permanent terminal, they have no option than to continue parking out cars there. Living in fear He said they are always living in fear knowing too well that a disaster is ready to happen. He therefore appealed to the NPA to invest in the construction of a spacious and modern truck terminal for members of the association. Mr Doe said the regulator, NPA, in an attempt to reduce the diversion of fuel products from filling depots by tanker drivers, installing vehicle tracking devices on all fuel tankers which is aimed at detecting tankers that veer off approved routes, stop at unapproved places and discharge at unapproved places. Mr Doe, while commending that move, appealed to the NPA to also take the safety aspect of their operations very seriously by providing a central terminal where these trucks can park while waiting their turn to lift products to ensure orderliness and avert disaster. -End- Quick Read:  Fuel tanker drivers in Tema are appealing for a permanent terminal.  They explained that there is a situation currently, wherein truck drivers and other commercial drivers jostle for space with members of the association who park along the road creating congestion and exposing road users to danger.  The drivers say the presence of high tension electric cables increase the threat pose to their operation