Petroleum tanker drivers in Ghana have begun a sit-down strike over the deteriorating condition of the 7.2-kilometre Valco Roundabout-Kpone Junction road in Tema, raising concerns about road safety and the transportation of petroleum products.
The drivers say the poor state of the Tema-Kpone road has created serious safety challenges, especially because they use the route to transport highly inflammable petroleum products, fuel and LPG.
According to the National Chairman of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Union, George Nyawunu, the drivers have been compelled to suspend operations because the condition of the road has become increasingly dangerous.
He explained that although a contractor is currently working on the road rehabilitation project, progress has been extremely slow, leaving tanker drivers frustrated and concerned about their safety.
The deteriorating road is also affecting the smooth transportation of petroleum products within the Tema industrial enclave, one of Ghana’s major centres for fuel storage and distribution.
The situation has become more worrying because the area is home to several petroleum storage depots holding millions of litres of fuel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
Stakeholders have therefore called for urgent action to improve the road infrastructure and reduce the risk of accidents involving petroleum tankers.
George Nyawunu warned that the high concentration of flammable petroleum products and LPG storage facilities in the Tema area could have serious consequences if the road rehabilitation works are not completed promptly.
He stressed that the continued deterioration of the Valco Roundabout-Kpone Junction road could pose a major threat to tanker operators, nearby businesses and communities across the Tema township.
The tanker drivers are therefore demanding urgent government and contractor action to accelerate the Tema road rehabilitation project and ensure safer transportation of petroleum products in the area.
Source: newsthemegh.com