Fuel Tankers Are An
Accident Waiting To
Become A Tragedy
Flammable and hazardous
liquids move around the
country in tanker trucks
that are too old and in
violation of the law,
according to a study
realized by the
Autoridad Reguladora de
los Servicios Públicos (Aresep),
which shows that the
average age of tanker
trucks in use today is
29 years when the law
allows for a maximum of
10.
The regulatory agency
had 227 tankers
authorized to carry
gasoline under the
magnifying lens and
found that the trucks in
use are on average 20
years older than they
should be.
The Aresep says it has
sent the Ministerio de
Ambiente y Energia (Minae)
to take immediate
actions to correct the
situation. The letter
was from Fernando
Herrero, the Regulador
General, to the Minae
minister, Roberto Dobles,
warning him of the
problem.
"We are concerned at the
age of the tanker trucks
as they represent a
latent danger as the
trucks circulate the
national roads. We have
found tankers having
received approval last
year and manufactured in
1950", said Herrero.
Herrero added that their
investigation revealed
that only four tankers
used in the country were
manufactured after 2000.
The study indicates
that, on average, the
tankers in use today
were built in the later
70's, some dating back
to 1950, who keep
getting authorization
for use every year.
Minae minister Dobles
responded immediately by
requesting a report on
exactly how many of the
old tankers and tractor
trailers and other
vehicles used in
transporting fuel are in
use and contravene
Decree 24813 of December
22, 1995.
The decree amends the
Reglamento de Transporte
y Acarreo de los
Derivados de Petróleo
that sets out that
beginning in 1999 all
tankers used to
transport feul cannot be
older than 10 years.
The Aresep study details
that 7 tankers are from
the year 1950, 26 from
1960, 92 from the 70's,
59 from the 80's and 39
from the 90's. |
