Tanker Drivers Are On Strike Again - How Do We Curb This Menace?

April 21 2009 Lagos Nigeria - Tanker Drivers Are On Strike Again - How Do We Curb This Menace?

The use of strike action by tanker drivers union to press home their point is no longer news. It is also not news that tanker drivers in Lagos Nigeria and virtually every other state of Nigeria are lawless - a real menace to road users.

The question is: when will these tanker drivers stop taking the entire country for a ride?

This latest strike is purportedly to protest the seizure of 50 tankers by LASTMA, the Lagos state traffic authority.

The tanker drivers association is calling for an unconditional release of the tankers to their owners. Lagos state government, on the other hand, insist that tanker drivers are not above the law. Tankers that park illegally and break traffic regulations deserve to be punished accordingly.

You have no choice but to concede that the government is making a point. The fact that the tanker drivers association is a powerful entity that can cripple socio-economic activities should not deter the government from imposing sanctions when traffic laws are violated by its members.

Tanker drivers constitute a huge cog in the wheel of progress. They park indiscriminately thereby inhibiting the free flow of traffic. They make illegal u-turns. And many drive at break-neck speeds that eventually result in dangerous accidents that lead to loss of lives and valuable property.

As the strike rage on, the people suffer.

What should the government do about this unruly set of Nigerians? Should the government have its own tankers to deal with situations like these? That is an option.

Should the government close its eyes to the menace of tanker drivers just to avoid a confrontation and eventually a strike that paralizes the state? That is also an option but not an unacceptable one.

What is your take on this? Please share.