The Nation Newspaper

Tag: PTD

  • NARTO, PTD ask members out of Lagos roads

    NARTO, PTD ask members out of Lagos roads

    the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association (PTDA) have asked all their members to immediately comply with the directive by the Lagos state government to vacate Lagos roads until petroleum products are available in the state.

    The Lagos state government had asked all tanker owners and drivers to remove their vehicles from the roads in the state as part of efforts to decongest the roads taken over by trucks waiting to lift fuel.

    Addressing a joint news conference in Abuja, National President of NARTO, Alhaji Kassim Bataiya and his PTD counterpart, Chief Salimon Oladiti, said the organisations were working with government to ensure sanity on Lagos roads.

    They said that while most depots in Lagos do not have fuel, it was unfortunate that tankers that have managed to lift from the six depots are not able to leave Lagos because of traffic gridlock.

    According to them: “As you are aware, for close to a month now, the nation has been hit by serious petroleum product shortages arising from the inability of NNPC and major oil marketers to ensure adequate supply of the product to the market. As Nigerians, we regret that this situation still persists.

    “We saw and heard from the electronic media that NNPC has pumped 1.2billions litres of petrol into the market but only six depots out of 54 loading depots facilities have petrol in the Lagos area.

    “We therefore concede to Lagos State Government the right to take any action they deem fit to restore public order and ensure environmental safety.

    “We are worried that even the loaded trucks cannot move out of Lagos due to traffic gridlock.

     

     

    “The implication is that the vacation order to the truck owners/drivers will have devastating effect to the nation’s economy.

    “However, as law abiding organizations, we call on all our members (owners/drivers) to comply with the vacation orders while the two organisations are working with government and other key stakeholders to ensure free flow of traffic within Lagos and its environment.

    “We urge our members to painstakingly absolve the bitter pill cause by this directive.”

     

  • Tanker drivers allay strike fears

    The Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) union of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has denied any impending industrial action to draw attention to the poor state of the Apapa-Oshodi expressway especially around the tank farms within the area.

    It said last Friday, that it is constrained because of the negative impact of such action on Nigerians.

    In a statement signed by its National Public Relations Officer Mr. Atanda Adebayo, the PTD said: “Despite the hardship the bad condition of the roads is causing our members, the union is constrained about taking any action that will have negative effect on the citizens.”

    He appealed to the Federal authorities to expedite action on the roads to make sure that it becomes motorable in the shortest possible time.

    The union said it is willing to take all tankers off the road to enable the contractors work.

    “The union is ready to work with the Federal Government by ensuring that all trucks on the road are evacuated if it would assist them complete the job on time. This option will be considered if an agreement is reached between the Federal Ministry of Works and our leaders, “ the statement noted.

    On the one week ultimatum given by the Lagos State Governor Mr. Babatunde Fashola to sanitise Creek road, the union said it will comply as a law abiding citizen.

    The drivers’ however observed that the ultimatum “has nothing to do with the Mile 2 traffic, but the Creek road gridlock.”

    He said though the governor had blamed the tanker drivers for the gridlock on Mile 2, he said the delay in fixing the road is blamed on its being a federal road.