WE SHOULD, as they say, perhaps give thanks for small mercies. At least, somebody in the public bureaucracy has - again - recognised a problem and its potential for catastrophe.
On Tuesday, Mr. Kern Spencer, the Junior Minister in the Technology and Energy Ministry, speaking at a safety awards function of Cool Petroleum group, pointed to the issue of the parking of petroleum tankers in communities across Jamaica. Sometimes they are before the homes of their drivers or garages on lots in the heart of residential communities. We assume that these tankers are at times filled with petroleum products.
But as Mr. Conroy Watson, the senior director of the energy division of the Technology and Energy Ministry, told this newspaper, full or empty, these tankers can be dangerous. They may contain residual inflammable material or a build-up of gases, requiring only a trigger for combustion.
"... We should be very mindful where these vehicles are parked," warned Mr. Watson. "... If there is an explosion, you could lose the entire community."
So far we have been lucky, if not prudent. The shame is that while people like Mr. Spencer, who has offered himself for public office and is seeking to become a Member of Parliament, and Mr Watson, a civil servant, paid by taxpayers, have a cognitive grasp of the issues, they have done precious little to change the situation to enforce whatever regulations may exist. They occasionally, such as when they are invited to 'dos,' such as the one hosted by Cool, remind us that they know. But there is a lack of aggressive insistence that the rules are followed.
There are no consistent reminders, for instance, of the dangers posed to communities when vehicles that haul dangerous substances and materials are garaged in the heart of residential communities. Neither is pressure placed on law enforcement agencies to move against those who flout the development orders.
The culprits, of course, are not just the owners and drivers of such vehicles. There are public figures such as the mayor of Kingston who started like a whirwind to clear the city of unregistered garages but soon ran out of steam.
Our luck won't always hold, as we were reminded five years ago when an LPG tank being filled at a fast-food store exploded. There was a review and a promise to enforce regulation. In the end they talked. We hope that Mr. Watson and Mr. Spencer will give a little less talk and a lot more action.
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