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Friday March 29, 2024

Oil tankers may end strike by Wednesday afternoon

By Javed Mirza
July 26, 2017

KARACHI: Over 50 percent of fuel stations in the city ran out of the commodity by Tuesday evening as oil tankers and other stakeholders could not reach an agreement. However, an office-bearer of the oil tankers association said the parameters had been agreed upon and the issue would be resolved in the Wednesday morning meeting to be attended by tankers' owners, representatives of the provincial government, the regulatory authority and oil marketing companies.

Fuel shortage and long queues at petrol stations were witnessed as pumps ran short of fuel. They were shut down due to non-supply of petrol and diesel as oil tankers associations went on strike after the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) resorted to police safety regulations promulgated in 2009. Shoaib Ashraf of the All Pakistan Oil Tankers Association said the terms had been agreed upon between the parties and the same would be formally announced after Wednesday morning meeting. “The supply would start by noon and fuel stations would be able to resume their routine business by evening at the most.” It was known that Ogra, provincial governments and tanker owners had agreed on a time-frame for the implementation of standards and regulations.

A meeting of the stakeholders held on Tuesday could not reach an agreement as according to sources tanker owners and Ogra chief developed a difference of opinion leading to trading of hot words. “However, the situation was contained,” someone at the meeting told The News.

President of Petroleum Dealers Association Abdul Sami Khan said over 50 percent fuel stations across the country had closed as there was no supply in two days. “If the supply is not restored, all fuel stations will be forced to shutter down by Thursday.”

Khan also criticised the provincial governments for their apathy towards the miseries of people. “Provincial governments should have advised the oil marketing companies to move their licensed contractors for supply of petrol and diesel to fuel stations.”

On the other hand, Shoaib Ashraf said over 50 percent of the stations had enough merchandise while Pakistan State Oil (PSO) franchised stations were operating as usual. “Most of the fuel stations were closed as the oil marketing companies (OMCs) were enforcing safety standards at their fuel stations,” Ashraf said adding that only tankers were not lagging behind as far as standards and regulations were concerned.     

Safety standard regulations were formulated in 2009, which the oil tankers association agreed to implement over the next five years. Despite the lapse of eight years, the same were not implemented.

On June 25, an oil tanker skidded on the road and overturned in Ahmedpur Sharqia, causing huge amounts of petrol to leak. Hundreds of people from nearby villages rushed to the scene to collect oil. Soon after, a huge fire erupted in the oil tanker causing a tragedy.

It may be a shocking disclosure that over 7,000 oil tankers were not in compliance of safety standards notified by the regulator but they were still on the roads. There are around 11,704 tankers in the country, and Ogra has installed third-party inspectors at all the filling points to ensure that oil companies do not supply fuel through sub-standard tankers. Out of the total, only 4,653 oil tankers were in compliance of safety standards.