Yemisi Izuora
The Lagos State government has outlined strict measures to end incessant accidents involving petroleum tanker drivers.
The government has also sought the co-operation of tanker drivers address reckless driving and parking on the highways, which often claim many lives.
The state’s Commissioner for Energy & Mineral Resources, Mr. Olalere Odusote, who spoke at the stakeholders’ engagement meeting with key representatives of the Downstream Energy Sector to deepen safety awareness of operators, said that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration was keen to see robust investment in the downstream sector but operators must stay within the framework of safety provided by the regulators and the laws of the state.
Odusote said that the workshop was put together to address the recurrence of such hazardous incidents, and to seek effective and lasting solutions that align with the interests of all stakeholders.
The commissioner disclosed that Lagos State had commenced the process of creating fully-equipped truck transit parks and terminals to eliminate the indiscriminate parking of trucks in the state.
He informed that a technology-based integrated terminal management system, where tickets are issued prior to proceeding to the loading bays, would be introduced in addition to the enforcement of the yearly certifications for tanker drivers and trucks that ply Lagos roads.
He said that the Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources would work closely with all stakeholders to implement an optimal framework to curb the menace of tankers, just as it partners the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to monitor loading of petroleum products at the various loading bays in the state.
Also, the Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde, said that relevant infrastructure to facilitate vehicle testing would be made available at mutually agreed designated points to support the downstream sector.
Also speaking at the meeting, the National Chairman of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Association, Otunba Sailimon Oladiti, noted: “Lagos State Government is always leading positive change, but to ensure the solutions are sustainable, similar actions must also be taken nationwide.”