Tanker Drivers Begin 3-Day Strike Over Alleged BOST Fuel Measurement Errors

Tanker drivers in the Ashanti, Bono, Ahafo and Western North Regions have begun a three-day sit-down strike over alleged inaccuracies in fuel measurement at the Bulk Oil Storage and Transport Company’s (BOST) Kumasi Depot. The drivers claim faulty or wrongly calibrated measuring meters at the depot are consistently recording fuel shortages, for which they are made financially responsible. Vice Chairman of the Tanker Drivers’ Association, Dominic Brenya, said exercises conducted with transporters, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and tanker unions have established that drivers are not siphoning fuel, despite what the depot’s measuring systems indicate.

According to him, the continued discrepancies are placing a significant financial burden on drivers, even as modern tracking technologies are being used to monitor the movement of both drivers and petroleum products. The drivers are therefore calling on BOST, the NPA and the government to urgently investigate the measuring systems and address what they describe as persistent inaccuracies. They have also raised concerns about inefficiencies at the Kumasi Depot, particularly delays in loading due to inadequate facilities. The drivers say the lack of adequate parking space forces tanker trucks carrying flammable products to park on road shoulders, posing a danger to other road users. They further complain that the limited parking area provided by BOST is untarred and unsuitable, and are demanding proper parking and sleeping facilities for drivers waiting to load.

The drivers have vowed to maintain the sit-down strike until their concerns are addressed. Management of BOST in Kumasi has declined to comment on the allegations. The industrial action, if prolonged, could disrupt the distribution of petroleum products and lead to shortages at filling stations.

By Kukua Snead-Michaels