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Havoc as fuel pumps run dry
05/03/2008 14:18 - (SA)
Verashni Pillay
Cape Town - Many service stations around the country ran dry and were waiting to be refilled on Wednesday after a fuel price hike saw motorists queuing for hours to fill up ahead of the increased tariffs.
Petrol went up by 61 cents per litre on Wednesday for all grades of petrol, and by 78 cents for diesel.
George Geras, whose family owns a Caltex petrol station in Green Point, Cape Town, said three of their four tanks ran dry on Tuesday.
"Diesel was out from (Tuesday) morning," he told News24.
Geras said he had expected suppliers to refill the station on Monday but this didn't happen.
"I don't know when I will get refilled," said Geras, who has battled with suppliers often.
'Pressure on the infrastructure'
Peter Morgan, director of the Fuel Retailers Association owners, told Beeld that "extra pressure on the infrastructure" had caused a massive problem in getting fuel to service stations.
According to him suppliers decided who got fuel and who didn't. "When our supply is finished, we have to wait for them. That is why some fuel stations ran out on Tuesday."
Service stations may only buy fuel from contracted suppliers and Morgan said the system was not working.
Peter Noke of South Africa Petrol Retailer's Association (Sapra) said suppliers did not stockpile fuel before price hikes as it was not profitable. "There is fuel at the moment, but the problem is getting it to fuel stations."
Meanwhile petrol attendants had their hands full as motorists queued - from Monday in some cases - to fill up their tanks before the increase.
Terror Mcimeli, a petrol attendant at the Shell garage in Mouille Point, said they were busy from 06:00 until midnight on Tuesday.
Other garages in the area had run out of fuel early, causing cars to flood the station.
Motorists said they would try to change their lifestyle to save on fuel, as prices looked set to increase.
Going green
"If the price goes up enough people are going to start getting green," said Michael Bagley, a ship engineer who said he rides his bicycle to work.
While Metrorail and Golden Arrow won't change their fares, taxi prices are set to increase.
Soso Mkonto, who works for Capeside Car Adventures said he takes a taxi from Delft to the CBD every day. "It's really bad," he said of the increase. "It's now R10 from Delft to Cape Town."
Meanwhile, retailers all over the country were anxiously waiting for suppliers to refill their tanks.
"For now we are fine, but if we don't get a delivery soon then we will have problems," said Pauline Maruma, the owner of a Caltex garage in Midrand, Johannesburg.
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