Invest in pipeline, railway to reduce oil tanker accidents

There was no town-to-town trucking of petroleum.

Trucks were used only for deliveries to customers and service stations.

It is an extended oil pipeline network across the region and also improved rail capacity and efficiency that will help.

Pipeline and rail infrastructures should feature prominently in any regional planning for “corridor” improvement, not purely because of road accidents but because it is an economic priority for the region.

We are aware that the Energy Regulatory Commission is working on petroleum regulations that will include petroleum road transportation safety.

The Energy Act 2006 from which the Commission borrows specifically requires that petroleum transporters be licensed by ERC and their drivers to obtain certification from the regulator.

The law also requires that municipalities provide safe parking for tankers.

The ERC rules will ensure that transporters and drivers will be able to meet road transport safety criteria before they are authorised to transport and the tankers meet minimum safety standards.

If managed and enforced effectively, the ERC initiative may provide the beginning of an end to petroleum road transport disasters.

I know it is achievable because a major oil company in Kenya has done it.

The company has over the years developed safety-compliant transporters who have worked with the oil company as partners to achieve targets.

I am informed that one of the major transporters has been graded among the top safe petroleum transporters in their group in Africa.

Through a system of training and retraining, audits and follow-ups, incentives and sanctions, the oil firm has achieved professionalism.

Driver fatigue

The oil firm appears to accept that most long-haul accidents will occur because of driver fatigue, exhaustion, sleep, and in many cases use of alcohol and drugs.