Tanker
inspection causes gas delay
By
Phoolo
Danny-Maharaj
South Bureau
Trinidad
Express
Port
Spain
Petroleumworld.com
09 10 06
AN inspection by union officials on tank wagons
delayed the delivery of petrol to service stations
yesterday, sending panic among some motorists, who
feared a gas shortage.
Defective vehicles were expected
to be demobilised or pulled off the road, and this
could create a gas shortage, Oilfields Workers Trade
Union president general Errol McLeod hinted at a
media conference at the OWTU 's headquarters, Circular
Road, San Fernando. He said the audit was necessary
because of the unsafe conditions of some of the
tankers, which are owned by the National Petroleum
and by some private contractors.
Up to late yesterday, the nine vehicles
inspected at NP had passed the test and considered
safe, communications manager Nneka Luke said.
The audit was also being conducted
at the bond area at state-owned oil company Petrotrin,
Pointe-a-Pierre. NP has 20 wagons that deliver fuel
throughout the country.
McLeod said some of the tankers
had "improper braking systems, smooth tyres,
no fire extinguishers, no spark arresters, problems
with the steering systems...."
He said: "These vehicles are
heavy and thus become more dangerous to drive. If
these tankers are demobilised, then the travelling
public could be inconvenienced, the gas stations
can run out of fuel daily because of their capacity
limits. Most of the stations have to be serviced
by these tank wagons every day."
Up to late yesterday, no wagons
had been demobilised, Luke said. She admitted that
although it was normal for the wagons to be inspected,
yesterday's audit was an isolated case.
"The inspection is expected
to continue at the weekend," she said, adding
that supply might run low at some service stations.
She was optimistic that there would not be any shutdown.
Petrotrin's
communications manager, Arnold Corneal, said the
company would support any move to demobilise defective
vehicles. He said the company did not own any of
the delivery wagons.
Trinidad Express
Saturday, September 9th 200
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