Diesel fuel shortage worsens in the capital
Diesel fuel shortage worsens in the capital
JAKARTA (JP): A diesel shortage continued to hit gas stations
in the capital on Friday, resulting in long queues of vehicles
waiting to fill up their tanks.
Hundreds of trucks, buses, vans and other diesel vehicles
packed many gas stations around the city and the greater Jakarta
area, creating traffic jams in their vicinities.
Many public transportation vehicles have been unable to
operate over the past few days.
Several gas stations had already run out of diesel before
noon, including the ones on Jl. Kramat Raya, Jl. Penjernihan and
Jl. Tanah Abang in Central Jakarta.
In South Jakarta, six stations on Jl. Arteri Sejajar
Fatmawati, Jl. Lingkar Selatan, Jl. Kemandoran, Jl. Arteri Pondok
Pinang, Jl. Tanjung Barat and Jl. Kahfi II Srengseng Sawah had
also run out of diesel by 11 a.m.
Eleven other gas stations all over West Jakarta, North Jakarta
and East Jakarta found themselves in the same position.
A gas station in Kelapa Dua, West Jakarta, had even stopped
selling diesel less than two hours after it opened for business
in the morning.
"We opened the station at 5.30 a.m. But by 7 a.m., the diesel
had run out," said a gas station attendant as reported by SCTV on
Friday.
The attendant said that the usual diesel supply of 32 tons a
day had been reduced by half by the state-owned oil and gas
company Pertamina.
Similar conditions prevailed at a gas station on Jl.
Pejompongan, Central Jakarta.
An attendant at the gas station, Junhaniko, said that
Pertamina had reduced its diesel supply since Monday to only 16
tons compared to the usual 24 tons to 36 tons per day.
"We checked with Pertamina and they said that they had
deliberately reduced the supply as they were suffering losses
because factories were cheating them," he told The Jakarta Post.
According to Pertamina, many industrial customers were not
taking up in full the diesel allocations set aside for them by
the company and that it was suspected that such industrial users
are buying subsidized diesel fuel from gas stations.
Ali, a chauffeur who was driving a Panther van said that he
had visited five gas stations before finally coming to
Pejompongan.
"I went to Jl. Panjang, Daan Mogot and Kebayoran Lama ... even
Cikarang in Bekasi. They were all out of supplies. I've been
going through this since Wednesday," he said.
The driver of a truck said jokingly, "It feels like I've been
to hundreds of gas stations so far."
Sunarto, an automobile owner, said that he had brought some
jerrycans with him to buy additional diesel but the gas station
refused to fill them.
"They said it's OK if I want to fill up my tank, but nothing
more than that," he said, adding that he hoped the government and
Pertamina would quickly overcome the problem.
As of 1 p.m., there was still some diesel left in Pejompongan
but no sign of when a new delivery would arrive.
Five officers from the nearby Tanah Abang police station were
seen directing traffic.
National Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Didi Widayadi said on
Friday that National Police headquarters would station police
officers at a number of gas stations in Jakarta, and also
nationwide, to monitor the distribution of fuel to the general
public.
Didi said the National Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro had
also instructed police chiefs nationwide to take the strictest
measures against individuals and parties who were caught hoarding
fuel, particularly diesel fuel.
"Buying diesel by the drum is forbidden. The strictest action
will be taken against anybody caught doing so, or any company
caught doing so," he asserted. (hdn/jun/ylt)