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Unsavoury characters, military abuses ignite rage at filling stations
View(s):By Kasun Warakapitiya
Heated arguments, brawls, and violence are now regularly erupting at many fuel stations where motorists in lengthy lines for days and nights now do not expect law enforcement by police.
In some queues, people complain that the police are spectators, while thugs and three-wheel operators take control.
Motorists have been seen shouting at each other when some others jump in with the help of thugs or three-wheel drivers.
“Tense situations can ignite even with small mistakes such as keeping the distance between vehicles, or knocking a vehicle. Once violence erupts, people take out their frustration by trashing vehicles,’’ said a motorist in a queue at a suburb in Colombo.
At the Puttalam Veppamadu fuel station, a fight breaks out between frustrated motorists despite the presence of police officers. Pic by Hiran Priyankara
One violent incident that captured wide public attention was at the Dummaladeniya filling station in Warakapola. In videos that went viral, An army lieutenant was seen furiously assaulting a policeman, who later appeared to reach for his pistol in the heat of the moment.
An argument is said to have erupted between the two because the soldier had tried to allow in someone who was not in the fuel queue.
The soldier was arrested by the Warakapola police and later released on two Rs 500,000 surety bail and Rs 5,000 cash bail.
Filling station workers, too, are favouring friends and relatives, or demand additional cash to pump fuel above the limit. Some take bribes to give advance notice on the time when a fuel bowser is due.
People in queues as well as thugs are offering places at the front of the line for a fee and in some instances, unsavoury characters have intervened to settle arguments and disputes, whenever frustrated motorists fight over their positions. They have even chased away those waiting in queues for many hours.
Kiribathgoda resident, Kumari Dissanayake, who lined up at Pattiya junction fuel station said a three-wheel driver had told her son to go to the filling station on the opposite side of the road.
“That three-wheel driver had counted the vehicles [in line], and calculated the amount of fuel issued for three-wheelers to discourage us, so he could grab our position,” she said.
Ms Dissanayake also said that three-wheel drivers were dominating and creating disputes with other motorists. “I am afraid to send my son alone, so I came with him.’’
Wattala resident R K de Silva, who had waited for more than 12 hours for fuel at the Havelock Town filling station, blames the police for idling. He said he dozed off near his motorbike. When he opened his eyes, other motorists had moved ahead of him.
“The police officers are like two statues and they do not intervene. Even though people argue, they do not care,” he said.
Mr de Silva said that many motorists spend sleepless nights also fearing drug addicts who rip off parts of vehicles such as side mirrors and badges.
People have also been reacting angrily at the police and Army personnel who are filling up without lining up.
This was observed at fuel queues in Yakkala and Pasyala where three-wheelers and other vehicles driven by Nittambuwa police repeatedly filled up by skipping the long queues.
Motorists waiting for fuel at the Welisara filling station run by the Sri Lanka Navy’s Welfare Division are being frustrated by a constant stream of vehicles from the Welisara navy camp driving into the station whenever a petrol or diesel bowser arrives and then get priority.
Many of the vehicles have navy license plates.
A motorist who claimed anonymity, and who had waited for nearly three days for petrol, told the Sunday Times that it was also unclear how the navy could distinguish if the vehicles actually belonged to navy staff, or these were vehicles of civilians with a navy driver.
Meanwhile, a Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) spokesperson said there were complaints that police were not taking action against third party fuel-sellers and local thugs who controlled queues.
He said people should not buy fuel from third parties and encourage underground operators.
“Our officers fear getting attacked by motorists in queues. We know they are inconvenienced, but if there is no fuel supply what can we do?’’ he asked.
The police said fuel station owners have to maintain order in the queues.
| Not-so-long arm of the law Police Media spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa told the Sunday Times that officers would only intervene if roads were obstructed. Only two policemen can be assigned to each fuel station and they cannot handle more than 2,000 vehicles, he said. They act as observers. “The police are mostly there to observe and assist people. Two officers cannot contain and control thousands of motorists in queues. And they alert police stations if backup is needed,’’ he said. Collecting fuel into cans is not considered an offence even though the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation had issued guidelines. “We will only make arrests if we can submit facts to the court and file cases against persons who engage in fraud,’’ he said. | |
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