The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) have disclosed that duo would be joining forces in monitoring oil tankers operations and put in place measures towards preventing accidents involving tankers across the country’s highways.
They explained that the partnership had been made in line with the partners’ commitment and response to the recent wave of oil tankers road accidents across the country.
As stated, the collaboration would ensure the duo explore all avenues including but not limited to setting a limit to transportation of petroleum products across the country, among others to mitigate such accidents.
FRSC’s Corps Marshal, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, said that the collaboration would end issues of non-compliance with minimum safety standards by tank farm owners and tanker drivers in the country.
Speaking during his working visit to the DPR office, Victoria Island in Lagos on Monday, Oyeyemi noted that the needed technical support would be provided by DPR in preventing future accidents involving oil tankers.
“The major challenge on the road today are the wet cargoes, that is, the tankers carrying petroleum products, and dry cargoes, which are the containers falling frequently on the road.
“We really need a strong technical collaboration; our philosophy is that if there is a problem, we get to the root of the problem before we can tackle it. That is why we are here to seek this assistance to work together, ” he said.
Oyeyemi said there was need to carry out a lot of preventive measures, including putting in the technical expertise, where the DPR became very critical, and that required standards would be enforced by regulators before tankers can be loaded at the various tank farms.
“Also, in the course of giving them permit, the standards in place should be inspected and an application confirmed. If they are all put in place, our roads will be much safer,” he added.
The Corps Marshal said that key areas of possible operational collaboration include retraining of drivers and assistants in handling loading and unloading of products, adding that there was need for extension of culpability and sanction for loading of deficient trucks to depot operators.
“There is need for a periodic interface between DPR and FRSC to review and fine-tune implementation strategies,” Oyeyemi said.
On his part, DPR Chief Executive Officer, Sarki Auwalu, recalled that as part of efforts to enhance safety, the DPR had in March inaugurated the Minimum Industry Safety Training for Downstream Operators.
Auwalu said that the training for the tanker drivers aimed at recognizing and preventing the hazards associated with handling of petroleum products.
“The training also involves safe driving strategy and procedure of handling accidents and emergency, vehicle parking, servicing and security,” he said.
