BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

Against the back drop of the worsening traffic and environmental condition of Kirikiri town and its environs, the Petroleum Tankers Drivers, PTD, branch of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has exonerated its members from blame.

PTD rather blamed the police, the Navy, Prison wardens, members of the Odua Peoples’ Congress( OPC) as well as miscreants popularly called area boys and land owners for the seemingly uncontrollable traffic nightmare that residents, workers and users of the Kirikiri/ Apapa_Oshodi Expressway go through on daily basis.

Kirikiri road, Apapa, Lagos.

Secretary Lagos Zonal Executive Council. PTD branch of NUPENG,Comrade A A Adebayo, said who spoke to Vanguard Metro that other haulage trucks operating in Kirikiri town also contribute to the traffic snarl. His words: “We all know that there are more than five tank farms in Kirikiri. Whenever there are products, definitely, tankers would go there to lift them (products). The major traffic and safety problems that we have there is that it is not only tankers that are plying that road. There are so many other haulage trucks operating in the community. There are those loading bagged cement, those bringing in and taking out containers and so on. All of them use this same road in and out. Specifically, the tankers within the community have in and out routes. The problem is that by the time the tankers who lift products want to go out, some haulage trucks that are going straight or going to their destinations to either load or off_load, would block them. We are very worried about the safety of lives and property in the community hence we have called on the tank farm owners to provide alternative parking places for the tankers ahead of loading or lifting of products. We are still waiting for them to act on that”.

Continuing, Comrade Adebayo who observed that there are different tank farms and owners enjoined them to come together to solve the crisis. “ I think they should come together and agree on the modalities to address this challenge.