The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has constructed a US$3.4 million (GHc17m) truck packing terminal for oil and gas Bulk Road Vehicles (BRVs).
The 1000 truck packing space, situated at Kpone Katamanso, is expected to help reduce the indiscriminate parking of BRVs around the Tema Oil Refinery area and other petroleum products storage depots in the metropolis.
The facility will also ensure that movement of bulk vehicles scheduled to load petroleum products for distribution are properly regulated, easing traffic congestion around TOR and eliminating the dangers that the BRVs pose to other road users through haphazard parking.
NPA’s CEO, Mr. Alhassan Tampuli, at the commissioning of the facility, noted that stakeholders in the industry have the responsibility to ensure safety of the public.
“The main objective of this facility is to ensure that movement of tanker vehicles scheduled to load petroleum products are conveniently regulated” he said.
While the NPA has not made statistics available on the number of BRVs which were involved in accidents over the years, Mr. Tampuli maintained that a number of calamities by bulk carriers, recorded, were borne out of fatique as a result of inadequate rest by drivers after a trip.
The NPA Boss explained that the non-adherence to safety measures including traffic signs, excessive and reckless speeding, dangerous over speeding, night driving and use of mobile phones are a bane to the petroleum transportation sector.
“This facility is one of initiatives meant to create an enabling environment for the operations of the transportation sector of the petroleum downstream industry” he noted.
Energy Minister John Peter Amewu, reiterated government’s commitment to the sector’s development through effective and efficient system.
Instructively, government’s aim for the rehabilitation of pipelines from Tema to Akosombo and a possibility of rail lines between Tema and Kumasi are all being given attention to reduce road transportation of petroleum products in order to ensure safety.
By Wisdom Jonny-Nuekpe