Friday, September 21, 2018

NOC enforces quota for fuel

Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has started rationing of fuel citing depleting stock due to inadequate supply of petroleum products. The quota refueling system effective from today is expected to address the demand for fuel.
The state oil monopoly has directed the fuel stations to refuel motorcycles and scooters with 5 litres of petrol per vehicle, while light weight vehicles, cars and vans will be refueled with maximum of 15 litres of fuel at a time.
Likewise, vehicles plying short distances will get 50 litres of diesel and vehicles covering long distance will get a maximum of 100 litres, according to the NOC that has also directed the petrol pumps to keep ambulances, school buses and government vehicles on priority and refuel them accordingly.
According to NOC spokesperson Birendra Goit, the Nepal Petroleum Dealers' Association (NPDA) – the apex body of private petrol pumps – and Bagmati Petroleum Dealers’ Association (BPDA) have been requested to distribute the fuel based on the quota system.
Petrol pumps across the country have been facing shortage of petroleum products as fuel tanker operators started halting fuel supply from last two days, expressing solidarity with the protest of transporters, who are against a few transport-related provisions in the recently enacted Criminal Code.
A group of transport entrepreneurs, especially those operating tankers, have been staging protest since Tuesday against provisions including 10-year imprisonment for accidents and life imprisonment for causing death in the penal code.
As Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has limited stock of fuel – some 45,000 kilolitres of petrol and diesel, which is sufficient for less than a week, the protest by transport entrepreneurs if prolonged, the fuel supply situation will deteriorate further.
Most of the private petrol pumps were shut, while fuel stations run by Sajha and security forces saw serpentine queues.

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