NARTO Begins Strike On Tuesday, Raising Concern For The Availability Of Petrol

The Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO, will on Tuesday begins a warning strike raising concerns for the availability of petrol, following the association’s decision to halt the movement of all trucks transporting petrol.

During a Press conference on Tuesday in Abuja National President of NARTO, Yusuf Othman stated that the strike action had become imminent to protest the recent decision by the Federal Government to place immediate ban on all petroleum trucks above 45,000 litres capacity from plying roads.

According to him, the ban was insensitive and unappreciative of efforts and contributions of NARTO members as investors in the very critical and sensitive distribution and supply chains of petroleum products across the country.

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 to prevail as a warning.

“And furthermore, issue 10 days ultimatum with effect from 24th September 2020, for a full-blown withdrawal of service.

“Our members took loans from various commercial banks with very high interest rates and with no form of support from government.

“We were doing it for the sake of the country and we all achieved the desired goal of removing scarcity of petroleum products and its attendant long queues from our streets and communities.

“It is therefore distressing and discouraging that when, it is discovered along the line that one of the side effects of our efforts to fix the problem is the fact that our roads were not built to accommodate vehicles that carry loads in excess of 30 tons and the new government now want to impose and introduce a new policy about maximum capacity on our roads.

“The government is doing so without any consideration for the plights of our members and other attendant effects.”

NARTO is the umbrella organisation of all commercial vehicles owners in Nigeria engaged in the haulage of petroleum products, general cargoes, and movement of goods and passengers within the country and the West-African sub-region.