New KPIs aim to stop $200,000 trucks falling into inexperienced hands
By Leo Nelson
Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority (NPA) is preparing a regulatory crackdown on the fuel haulage industry after a spate of near-fatal tanker accidents. CEO Godwin Edudzi Tameklo, Esq., told an industry safety week that new Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and safety checklists would be required before any Bulk Road Vehicle (BRV) is registered.
“Why put a $200,000 tanker in the hands of an inexperienced driver?” Tameklo asked tanker owners. The answer, insiders say, is a systemic reliance on cheap labour that prioritises margins over lives. A recent Nsawam incident a tanker almost hitting a passenger bus has sharpened minds.
Under the proposed rules, the NPA will collaborate with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to vet driver certification, maintenance records, and past safety performance. High-risk operators would be barred. The shift from reactive monitoring to proactive risk management is long overdue, but implementation will test the regulator’s resolve against well-connected transport unions.
Tameklo’s broader agenda: professionalise tanker drivers through specialised licensing and minimum experience thresholds. Human error remains the leading cause of BRV disasters. Whether the NPA can enforce these rules without political pushback or simply shift the problem underground – remains an open question. For now, the message is clear: false economy kills.