The Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO has ordered tank drivers nationwide to stop operations from Tuesday to Wednesday as a warning to Federal Government’s abrupt ban on petroleum trucks with more than 45,000 litres capacity on Nigerian roads.
This will definitely affect the availability of petrol and may cause scarcity.
The National President of the association, Yusuf Othman at a press briefing in Abuja said; NARTO received with grave shock the recent government decision to place immediate ban on all petroleum trucks above 45,000 litres capacity from plying Nigeria roads.”
Insisting that the sudden ban was highly insensitive and unappreciative of the efforts of the association members, he said; “In view of the above, we are therefore constrained to allow the decision of all our members to park their trucks as from tomorrow, 22nd to 23rd September 2020, to prevail as a warning.
“And furthermore, issue 10 days ultimatum with effect from 24th September 2020, for a full-blown withdrawal of service.”
He added, “If such scenarios occur, we earnestly plead with those who will lose employment, income, and the general public that will be negatively affected by this avoidable situation.”
“The leadership of NARTO is not in any way against the decision of the Federal Government to ban the use of trucks with more than 45,000 litres capacity in the conveyance of petroleum products considering the dilapidated state of Nigerian roads.
“But NARTO is particularly concerned about the sudden and prompt nature of the ban. We consider the approach to be highly insensitive to the huge investments the owners of these trucks have made and debts they incurred in executing the mandate given by previous administration.”
