National Oil Company (NOC) disclosed it is going to start using a new tanker tracking system which will be installed upon tanker trucks, in the aim of tackling fuel adultery and monitoring the behavior of drivers.
NOC made the purchase of the technology form the US based Global Tracking Techonolgy PLC. The contract for the supply of the product was signed by Tadesse Tilahun, CEO of NOC, and managing director of Global Tracking, Zelalem Dagne.
The technology is said to cost NOC 82,000 Birr for every truck and an additional 1000 Birr every month as a fee for telephone, internet, GPS satellite and data management services.
Currently NOC operates 800 fuel tanker trucks for which it is expected to pay 300 Million Birr, in order to have the system installed upon the trucks. According to Tadesse, the truck owners are going to repay the amount in two years and pay the 1000 Birr monthly fee every month.
Zelalem on his part presented Electronic Cargo Tracking System components (ECTS) include tracking reader, electronic seal, GPS\GPRS modem (fleet management device) and ETCS software platform. According to him NOC will be able to track the location of the vehicle, behavior of the driver as well as the dispensing valves of the tanker.
In addition to this, Zelalem explained, the tracking system reports unauthorized opening of fuel tanker. “Once the fuel is loaded at the port it will automatically shut down the valve and if someone tries to open it along the way it will report it to the headquarters of both NOC and Global Tracking,” he noted.
“We can learn about his speeding and reckless driving and we can instantly make him stop the truck,” Zelalem added. This will enable to reduce the fuel cost 10 to 15 percent, accident rate by 50 percent and maintenance cost by 40 percent.
The managing director also explained Ethiopia’s insurers pay a huge sum of money as a compensation for motor accidents, which he claims will also be lessened after applying the new system. “According to my estimate an insurance company in Ethiopia pays 20-30 million dollars unnecessary compensation payments for motor accidents,” he said.
Tadesse on his part commented fuel theft and adultery are major problems the sector is facing. “NOC wants to deliver the exact amount of fuel it received to customers. Fuel mixed with other materials is damaging cars and machines. We are criticized for the wrong doings that we are not involved in. Now this new technology will enable us to protect all these mishaps,” he explained.
Global Tracking Technology already has deployed 3000 fleet management modems in Ethiopia. Among its customers some are DH Geda, East Africa Bottling, National Cement, MOHA Soft Drinks and Tracon Trading.
Workneh Gebeyehu, Ministry for Transport, Ali Siraj, State Minister for Trade and Kassahun Hailemariam, general manager of Ethiopian Transport Authority, appreciated the move by NOC and the government officials called upon other petroleum companies to follow the steps of NOC.
Currently Ethiopian Revenue and Customs Authority (ERCA) is installing ECTS on cargo trucks. Kassahun explained ERA thus far has installed 100 trucks as a pilot project and it is attempting to install it on 500 more trucks.
Bank in 2011 Ethiopia introduced cargo tracking proclamation.
Source: The Reporter
