Transportation of hazardous materials on Ghana’s trunk roads: the case of Tema – Accra – Kumasi Highway

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Date
June, 2016
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Several hazardous material shipments are made on a daily basis on Ghana’s highways; exposing humans, property and environment to risks. Though accidents involving hazardous materials are rare, when they occur their consequences can be rather severe. This notwithstanding, research on hazardous materials transportation in Ghana is virtually non-existent. This study is aimed at exploring and understanding the operations of hazardous material truckers and other stakeholders, using the Tema – Accra – Kumasi (N6) highway as a case study. Specifically, the study’s objectives were: (i) to explore the characteristics of hazardous materials transportation along the Tema – Accra – Kumasi corridor; (ii) to examine risks associated with transportation of hazardous materials; and (iii) to explore risk prevention and management practices of truck operators. Using a mixed methods research design, a sample of 170 hazardous material truck operators were randomly selected from clusters used as temporary parking places along the corridor in addition to some stakeholder institutions, which were purposively selected. The study revealed that about 2.5 million litres of petroleum products are transported on a daily basis along the corridor using Large Capacity Vehicles (LCVs). The use of LCVs reduces the potential risks that populations are exposed to while also allaying fears of terrorist attacks. It also came to light that 19.4% of truck operators did not comply with the four hour-mandatory Hours of Service (HoS), a worldwide best practice, making such operators vulnerable to accidents. Generally, accident rates involving hazardous materials on the corridor are low (0.0000770 or 7.7 x 10-5) compared to some international road corridors. This could be as a result of the relatively smaller volumes shipped daily. Non-compliance to HoS regulations is attributed to the lack of intermediate rest facilities and inspection stations. As a means of preventing accidents, Transport Service Providers [TSPs] provide regular professional training for truck operators; regularly maintained their trucks; and insured products together with vehicles and their truck operators. The current operations implies that there is safety consciousness. However, some more efforts are required to consolidate the achievements thus far. Accordingly, appropriate recommendations were made including the introduction of intermediate rest facility combined with a mobile inspection station. Areas of further research were also identified.
Description
A thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Planning,
Keywords
Citation