Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association(PTD), a branch of the Nigeria Union Petroleum…(NUPENG), Anambra State branch has lamented the effects of bad road in their business, saying that between June and September, its members have lost petroleum products and vehicles worth over N200million.
The Unit chairman of the association, Comrade Godwin Ezebuilo Anyim speaking during a press briefing in the union’s office in Onitsha on Tuesday said the state of roads in the South east has become a problem to them and to the free distribution of petroleum products around the zone.
Anyim said that as a result of the state of the roads, members of the union have incurred tremendous lost, which also involves loss of lives, and appealed to the state and federal government to look at roads in the zone with a view to fixing them urgently.
“We have lost vehicles and in most cases human beings, just as the products we convey are also wasted each time there is an accidents. These accidents are caused as a result of bad roads, and we are calling on the federal government to come to our aid and reconstruct these roads.
“The products we convey are very inflammable products, on several occasions that our trucks are involved in accidents, we loss the truck to fire and also the products. A truck costs nothing less than N9million and depending on the products it is conveying, the loss rises to between N12million to N15million.
“What we mostly drive here is 45,000litres tanker, and full tanker load of AGO is N5.4million, while PMS is N3.5million and DPK is also N3.5 million. That is what we loss in addition to the tanker anytime you see a fallen tanker on the way. This is not inclusive of human lives that are affected.” He said.
Anyim who was surrounded by his executives in the course of the briefing called on the federal government to expedite action in the reconstruction of the roads to save loss of properties, just as he noted that reconstruction of the roads will boost the economic viability of the zone.
Also speaking, the vice chairman of the union, Comrade Pius Ani noted while fielding a question that the recent order by the Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano for tankers to operate only at night will not be feasible.
Ani said, “We cannot operate at night because of the same reasons we have mentioned and insecurity. There have been cases of truck snatching, product theft and diversion as well as head on collision with luxury busses that ply the roads at night, all as a result of bad roads.”
The group however expressed appreciation to the state governor over plans to build a truck terminal in the state saying that some of their members drive for over 10 hours, and would need a place to rest in the state as some cannot afford hotel bills while on transit.
Anambra governor had last two months announced that the government would begin strict enforcement of the law banning tanker drivers from plying the state at day after two incidences of fire outbreak as a result of fallen petroleum tankers in Awka and Onitsha.
