The Petroleum Tanker Drivers branch of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers on Tuesday expressed the determination to take on tanker owners that sacked their drivers for refusing to ply the highways with unsafe trucks.
This was contained in a statement on Tuesday and signed by the National Chairman of PTD, Salimon Oladiti, and made available to newsmen in Abuja.
Oladiti said the decision was against the backdrop of the recent accidents involving fuel tankers in Onitsha and Lagos, which jointly claimed over 70 lives and properties worth several millions of naira.
The chairman, who expressed shock at the two incidents, said: “The rule banning night driving, though usually violated, is still in force.”
He said the union cherished human life more than anything and as such could not condone any act of negligence either on the part of the drivers or the truck owners.
He said any truck or tanker that needed repairs must be certified fit before conveying highly inflammable products on the road.
Oladiti, therefore, advised the law enforcement agents to investigate the cause of the accidents to ascertain the products sources.
He called on all stakeholders in the transport and haulage sub-sector as well as law enforcers, especially FRSC and the police, to join hands in the renewed fight to make the roads safer.
The chairman expressed the union’s resolve to continue its campaign against on night and reckless driving.
NAN.
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