New shopping schedule applies to gas stations

The new alphabetic-based shopping system applies to gas stations, COVID-19 Czar Richard Carter confirmed today.

Members of the public have expressed concern that they have not been able to fill up their tanks unless they present their identification cards to verify that they were allowed to perform the transaction on the given day.

The new shopping schedule implemented under the extended curfew allows Barbadians to conduct business at supermarkets, banks, hardware stores, fish markets and other establishments, based on the first letter of their surnames.

 Carter pointed to the Emergency Management  (COVID-19) Curfew ( No.3) Directive, 2020 which specifies that gas stations and automarts must operate under the new system along with supermarkets, fish markets, hardware stores, gas stations and banks.

“This [the Emergency Management Directive] would have been provided to the gas stations, so they are obviously consistent with the law,” he said.

Carter acknowledged that the shopping schedule which was circulated at the weekend did not include gas stations.

However, he urged the public to give the current shopping arrangement time to work, while assuring that it would be reviewed.

“This is not a perfect system… and nobody is trying to present it as that. We are basically trying to control movement in a public health situation. It is not a normal time and therefore we cannot expect normal service and normal operations,” he said.

The COVID-19 C-zar stressed, however, that the shopping schedule does not apply to village shops.