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Fuel pass goes islandwide tomorrow despite teething troubles
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The fuel pass system being tried out at a Colombo shed
By Kasun Warakapitiya and Sohan Vipulananda
The fuel pass system will be operative island-wide from tomorrow even though many a teething trouble is yet to be rectified.
After the pilot project was tried out at six fuel stations in Colombo and suburbs, suggestions flowed in for improvement, but officials said they believe they should go ahead with the system for the first phase.
The fuel pass system was tested with National Youth Council and National Youth Corps volunteers and Youth Affairs Ministry officials helping motorists to register for the fuel pass and shed attendants check the QR code.
Abdul Rahman Azim, a senior member of ‘Genext’, a youth club, said he and other club members had volunteered to educate the motorists on the new system. They were seen at a fuel station at Colombo 7.
“We are a six-member team working on a shift basis to help the motorists waiting in queues for days,” Mr. Azim told the Sunday Times.
He also said a technical team was also at hand to help those who faced technical difficulties and those who did not have smart phones. They also check the number plates of the vehicles and if they do not match the day’s digits, they politely ask the drivers to leave the queue.
Along with the new system, the fuel-rationing system introduced by the Government is expected to continue for the next few months until the foreign exchange crisis is solved and supplies become regular.
In terms of the fuel-rationing formula, motorbikes will get Rs. 1,500 worth of petrol (3.3 litres), three-wheelers Rs. 2,000 worth of petrol (4.4 litres) and cars and other vehicles Rs. 7,000 worth of petrol (15.5 litres).
Volunteers explainging the system to motorists. Pix by Nihan Maligaspe
The system is based on the last digit of the number plate. Tuesdays and Saturdays are set aside for vehicle numbers ending in 0, 1 and 2; Wednesday and Thursday for numbers ending in 3, 4 and 5; Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday for numbers ending in 6, 7, 8 and 9.
“The system was a good move to reduce overcrowding at fuel stations, but the CPC needs to ensure that every shed is sent enough fuel,” motorcyclist Ruwan Pathinayaka said.
He said he was lucky to receive his fuel quota from a Wattala shed, but hundreds of motorcyclists behind him could not get petrol as supplies ran out. “When the shed attendants announced they had run out of petrol around 11.30 pm, those in the queue were asked to leave, but by then those who were eligible to receive petrol the next day had already joined the queue.”
Three-wheel drivers said the quota made available for them was not sufficient, but CPC officials said they would have to continue with the quota system to control the usage of fuel.
Three-wheel driver Saman Perea said the quota given to three-wheelers was hardly enough to run a few hires.
S. Weerasekara, a businessman who was waiting in a van in the fuel queue, said he had to travel to several areas on business trips, but the fuel quota was hardly sufficient.
Meanwhile, an official from the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) which developed the system, said they were making improvements to the system.
He said that as three million motorists had registered for the system and more were registering, the system had slowed down. He said there were also several small issues which were being rectified.
He expressed hope that once the problems were sorted out, the system would be more effective
ICTA Director and software architect Dasun Hegoda told the Sunday Times they were planning to implement the QR code system islandwide from tomorrow. He said the system would minimise the waiting period and it was being upgraded to include government and public vehicles in the coming weeks. Another change will be the use of the revenue licence number instead of the chassis number for registration.
A Ceylon Petroleum Corporation senior official said the fuel distribution would be streamlined in the coming weeks as two 40,000MT diesel shipments and 40,000 MT of petrol had been received.
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