Fuel bowsers were being used as tankers "unlawfully," says planning ministry

Fuel bowsers parked in the capital had been used as tankers “unlawfully,” says the Ministry of Planning and Infrastructure.

The ministry said this in a statement released on Wednesday, where it stressed that the fire that broke out in Malé City’s northern harbor on September 30 was a result of this.

Noting that the current practices, including driving bowsers around the congested city “are not safe,” the ministry said that they are working to bring a “permanent solution.”

As such, plans are to move oil bowsers to Thilafushi island or Gulhi Falhu.

However, until this is finalized, the ministry has assigned an area in the industrial zone located in southern-Malé for fuel suppliers to park their oil bowsers.

Further noting that the decision was reached after discussions with other relevant institutions, the planning ministry listed out regulations to be followed.

While these regulations prohibit the parking of oil bowsers anywhere other than the authorized area and compels suppliers to take safety measures, it also tasks Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) with monitoring the safety measures there.

Maldives Police Service (MPS) and Malé City Council have also been tasked with monitoring the area and ensuring that the fuel suppliers follow regulations.

In addition, it orders MNDF to assess the current fuel bowsers in the city and nullify the permission granted to those that do not meet the country’s guidelines, and orders the transport ministry to halt the registration of any additional bowsers.

The T-Jetty fire broke out at around 3:40pm on September 30, injuring nine men. According to Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, where they were all taken for treatment, says that the injured are in stable condition.