Fuel Filling at Nagan Raya Petrol Station Awaits Staff to Complete Tarawih Prayer
Nagan Raya, Aceh — Vehicles queued at the petrol station on the Trans-Sumatera West Route between Meulaboh and Tapaktuan, specifically at Alue Bili in Nagan Raya District, Aceh, formed an orderly line on Sunday evening.
Fuel filling at the location had to wait for petrol station staff to complete their Tarawih prayer. “The staff are still performing Tarawih prayer, so we’re still waiting,” said Syafii (48), a truck driver transporting goods, whilst queuing at the station.
According to him, vehicle queues at the petrol station are usually common. However, during Ramadhan the queues become longer because not all petrol stations operate until late evening. Of the five petrol stations in the area, four close their services after Maghrib prayer time, whilst only one operates until approximately 21:00-22:00 WIB.
Nevertheless, Syafii acknowledged that current fuel availability was far better than some time ago after the area was hit by flooding that had disrupted fuel supplies. A similar sentiment was shared by Geri (22), a pickup truck driver and local resident. He noted that at the end of December last year, locals had difficulty obtaining fuel because several petrol stations closed due to supply disruptions. At that time, residents were even forced to buy Pertalite from street vendors at prices of Rp20,000 to Rp30,000 per water bottle or approximately 1.2 litres.
“It’s much safer now. Although there are fuel queues. Back then I once queued for a long time, only two cars ahead remained, when the staff said they had run out of petrol,” he said.
Observations at the location showed vehicle queues extending onto both road shoulders, including vehicles requiring diesel and Pertalite fuel. Each vehicle was required to use a barcode for fuel filling and was limited to a maximum of one fill-up per day.
After waiting for over two hours from 20:55 until 22:44 WIB, the Tarawih prayer at the mosque located near the petrol station complex finished. One by one, staff members arrived, the petrol station lights were switched on, and fuel services resumed.
Several queuing vehicles included two double-axle vehicles carrying five ANTARA journalists who were part of a special coverage team for “Bangkit Sumatera” (Rise Sumatera), concerning accelerated rehabilitation and reconstruction following the disaster in Gayo Lues, Aceh.
The team was scheduled to continue their journey from Meulaboh, passing through Nagan Raya towards Tetinggi Village, Pantan Cuaca District, Gayo Lues District, with an estimated travel time of approximately six to seven hours.
Tetinggi Village was one of the areas significantly affected by flooding and landslides in late November last year. According to reports received by ANTARA, at least 60 families in the village remain sheltering at evacuation locations.