The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Retail is set to buy 500 Petroleum trucks that would be deployed for product transportation services by the end of the second quarter of the year.
The vehicles will run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and they will have attached to them, devices like cameras that would monitor fatigue and other relevant safety issues in the course of a journey.
These measures, and more, are part of a collaborative effort of the federal government and all the stakeholders in oil and gas industry to prevent further carnage on Nigerian roads through petroleum tanker accidents.
At a virtual meeting of the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN), yesterday, the Association’s Chairman, Huub Stokman, bemoaned the rate of accidents involving petroleum tankers on Nigerian roads in recent times.
Stokman, who is also the managing director of NNPC Retail, regretted that while it is glaring that the state of roads in the country are parlous, but, majority of the trucks being used in the product distribution are equally too are old.
Clarifying that MEMAN is committed to ensuring safety of petroleum transportation in the country, he revealed that the association is taking every step possible to reduce, if not totally eradicate accidents involving petroleum product tankers.
“The NNPC Retail will bring in 500 trucks all fitted with cameras and electronic gadgets that will help to monitor what is happening in the vehicle in order to mitigate the rate of accident. The trucks must follow safety notes,” he said.
Also at the virtual meeting, the minister of Petroleum Resources, Oil, Heineken Lokpobiri, in his remarks said the incident of accidents as far as petroleum tankers are concerned are caused by excessive loading, bad roads, and the recklessness of the tanker drivers.
According to the minister, most of the drivers of the petroleum tankers are not trained, stating further that some of the tankers are over loaded, even when they are known to be very old.
“This is one incident, too many and the government is determined to reduce to the barest minimum the incident of petroleum tanker accident,” Lokpobiri said.
In his contribution, the Executive Secretary, Depot Petroleum Products Marketing Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), Adewale Olufemi, stated that some of its members have dedicated trucks that are well maintained and they have relationships with the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) for safety purposes.
