Government to step up monitoring of Bulk Road Vehicles
Accra, June 12, Ghanadot/GNA
– Dr. Kwabena Donkor, Deputy Minister of Energy, on Friday
underscored the resolve of government to step up monitoring
of Bulk Road Vehicles (BRVs) used in the transportation of
petroleum products for to adherence to safety and
environmental standards to minimise adverse impact.
He said it was important that transportation of petroleum
products was done within the confines of the law so that
life and property of other road users were not endangered.
Dr. Donkor was speaking at a seminar organised by the
Association of Oil Marketing Companies of Ghana for its
members on the theme: “Road Transportation of Petroleum
Products: Safety and Security Challenges Way Forward.”
The seminar was meant to educate members on good road
practices to prevent motor accidents.
Dr. Donkor asked the association to help reduce the high
number of BRVs currently involved in the transportation of
petroleum products.
He said while stakeholders continued to explore different
modes of transportation of petroleum products, efforts
should be geared towards making road transportation of such
products efficient and reliable.
Mrs. Mary Obiri-Yeboah, Director of Planning and Programmes
of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), blamed the
cause of most accidents on the inability of drivers to
observe traffic regulations.
She said the drivers in their haste to reach their
destinations on time overtook wrongly, drove under the
influence of alcohol and carried excess loads thereby
contributing to high road fatalities.
Other problems were wrong parking by some drivers that
obstructed traffic flow, driving and parking on the
shoulders of the road, high speed and lack of knowledge of
traffic control devices, Mrs Obiri-Yeboah said.
It is estimated that road traffic crashes cost the nation
1.6 per cent of the gross domestic product, which translates
to US$165 million.
Mr. Rudolph Beckley, Manager of Research, Statistics and
Information Technology of the NRSC, said items that
transportation of solids, liquids and gases that cloud
explode, flammable, toxic, infectious and radioactive or
corrosive properties needed special transport requirements
to eliminate or minimize the risk of injuring people or
damaging property and the environment.
He warned drivers not to accept to transport damaged
packages, leaking containers, incompatible freight or
hazardous goods which were improperly packed, marked or
labelled or not in proper condition for transportation.
GNA
