Some petrol dealers opt to close on Sunday and Monday

Motorists across Barbados were assured Friday night that they will have greater access to fill up at gas stations on Sunday than on Monday bank holiday.

The word came from president of the Petrol Dealers Association of Barbados (PDAB) Aldo Ho-Kong-King following a public notice placed in the local Press by the body informing the country that many service stations will be closed on those days.

Ho-Kong-King said the planned shutdown was an initiative of several service station managers who felt strongly that it was not cost-effective to only be selling auto products on Sundays and holidays under the Government’s COVID-19 health protocols which also include supermarkets and mini-marts.

Earlier this week, Attorney General Dale Marshall rejected a request from the association to allow the dealers to sell food and drinks from their convenience store on Sundays and  holidays.

Ho-Kong-King explained that the dealers, already under financial pressure due to the protocols, urgently need to improve their revenues by opening their automarts on those days.

“I would say that I do expect there will be quite a few stations open on Sunday.  I do expect there will be more stations that will be closed on the Monday as it is a bank holiday double time day, which is costlier to run,” he told Barbados TODAY.

“A lot of stations felt that it was not cost-effective to open without the marts on Sundays and bank holidays, particularly bank holidays. We are an essential service, and as an essential service, all of the dealers understand that they do have to service certain things…I think that is why a lot of people are still looking to open on Sunday even though it might not make sense,” he stated.

“The dealers are under pressure as every business is in losing money during this period and it is something they were obviously just trying to mitigate,” the representative of the petrol dealers pointed out.

Acknowledging that the situation was fluid, Ho-Kong-King told Barbados TODAY it would be difficult for him to say how many of the 42 gas stations would be closed at any given time on the two days in question.

One of the sectors which could be hit hard by any closure of gas stations is the privately-run ZRs, minibuses and taxis.

Chairman of the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT) Roy Raphael indicated that the organisation has decided to shelve an earlier plan to discourage its members from reporting for work.

Raphael said the change of heart came after reaching out to Ho-Kong-King today and getting certain assurances regarding access to fuel.

“I reached out to Mr king and he gave me the assurance that all gas stations would not be closed. Some people indicated that they may not be open. So he gave me that assurance. So what we will do is encourage our members to go out to work. But we would also want to encourage them as much as possible to fill up on Saturday night. So that by Sunday or Monday, especially those taxi operators who fill up based on how much money they get,” Raphael said.

Ho-Kong-King confirmed tonight that the public transport vehicle operators would be catered to.

“Roy Raphael reached out to me…and these are some of the other things that have come up as well, and I have assured him that they would be fuelled on Sunday,” the petrol dealers’ spokesman pointed out.

Meanwhile, Raphael said the PSV sector will be notified which gas stations will be open during the weekend.

However, he added that the organisation will be monitoring the situation as it unfolds.

In responding to the call from the petrol dealers to lift the ban on the auto marts not being allowed to sell food and drinks on Sundays and holidays, Attorney General Dale Marshall indicated that he could not adhere to their request when supermarkets and mini marts have to close on those days as well.

The Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) has indicated that it supports the position of the dealers from an economic perspective, but the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP) is behind the Government from a health and safety point-of-view.
(emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb)