Even though night loading of petroleum products was banned from the depots in Lagos last year due to security challenges, the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has said that its members have resumed night activities.
Secretary of the PTD Zonal Office in Lagos, Comrade Lawal Abidoye told Shipping Position Daily in Lagos last week that the fuel scarcity situation in the country had warranted its members to return to working at night.
Even though night loading of petroleum products was banned from the depots in Lagos last year due to security challenges, the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has said that its members have resumed night activities.
Secretary of the PTD Zonal Office in Lagos, Comrade Lawal Abidoye told Shipping Position Daily in Lagos last week that the fuel scarcity situation in the country had warranted its members to return to working at night.
According to him, fuel trucks from all over the country have been trooping into the depots in Apapa to load products; he added that this has posed a lot of challenges to the depots and the NUPENG traffic task forces and Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) at the tank farms.
“Right now, as I speak with you, if you go to our various offices, you cannot find any of our executives, everybody have been drafted to the tank farms to monitor the traffic and flow of tankers", he said.
"If you go to Apapa-Oshodi expressway now, you will see that the whole area has been jam packed and there is serious traffic along that route, even to gain access into the depot has become a challenge, so we have to start night loading to decongest the area in order to allow other road users move freely", he expalined.
Comrade Abidoye pointed out that Nigerians have always blamed the traffic situation in Apapa on tanker drivers while in actual fact; it is not the fault of the drivers.
It would be recalled that Government had banned night loading of product because of the risk of attack by the Boko Haram insurgents who were suspected to have entered Lagos at that time.
The government had also restricted all activities at the depot to 8am to 6pm daily.
Also confirming the situation, Comrade Tayo Aboyeji, South West Public Relations Officer of PTD lamented the influx of tankers along the Oshodi Apapa Expressway, despite the presence of special taskforce, including men of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).
According to him, the on going construction of Oshodi-Apapa road by Julius Berger has further compounded the traffic situation.
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