Gas stations to stay open 24 hours

SEMARANG: At least 87 fuel stations along the busy Northern and Southern coastal highways in Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces would remain open for 24 hours during the Idul Fitri holidays, an official said on Thursday.

I Bagus Wisnu, the head of state oil and gas company PT Pertamina's Marketing Unit for Central Java and Yogyakarta, said that the policy was aimed at accommodating the fuel needs for the large number of travelers returning to their villages at that time.

Idul Fitri holidays officially fall on Nov. 25 and 26, but most people take vacations for a week or more thereafter.

Bagus said that there were a total of 350 gas stations in Central Java and Yogyakarta, and 87 of them were located along the two main east-west arteries.

Both roads are normally crammed travelers during and after Idul Fitri.

Bagus, however, acknowledged that by keeping the gas stations open for 24 hours, they would be prone to robbery.

Therefore, Bagus called on each station to request extra security from the local police to prevent any crimes.

In order to meet the needs of travelers, Pertamina will increase its supply that is distributed to stations by about 9 percent.

Pertamina controls every fuel station in the country. -- Antara