By Robert Lalah, Staff ReporterTHERE CONTINUES to be a shortage of petroleum products in the Corporate Area, despite the Government's assurance that there were adequate supplies.
The Gleaner visited several gas stations yesterday, most of which were closed because they had run out of supplies. Workers at the Texaco service station on South Camp Road sat with folded arms beside gas pumps.
"We nuh have nothing. We run out since Saturday," one man said. The scene was similar at the Shell gas station on Deanery Road. A female employee waved motorists away shouting, "no gas."
The Texaco station at Heroes Circle, the Epping station on Old Hope Road, and the Esso gas station on South Camp Road were also closed because of a lack of supplies.
EXTENDED OPENING HOURS
The shortage of petroleum products in the Corporate Area occurred despite extended opening hours at the Petrojam Oil Refinery on Marcus Garvey Drive. A representative of Petrojam told The Gleaner
yesterday that the loading rack remained open until 11 o'clock Monday night to ensure that all the trucks were loaded and sent out. Early yesterday morning the refinery was still jam-packed with tankers waiting to be filled, many of them, the representative said, were from rural areas.
"There are many (tankers), but we were open until late last night and we will do the same today," he said, adding that even though the refinery would normally have been closed today, it would be open because of the special circumstances.
The representative noted also that there are currently three ships in the Kingston Harbour which are loaded with supplies.
NO NEED TO PANIC
Phillip Paulwell, Minister with portfolio responsibility for the energy sector, continued to urge Jamaicans not to panic or to rush service stations. He pointed to the fact that there are currently three ships with supplies in the Kingston Harbour, adding that the necessary contracts for future supplies are in place. He said the shortage is linked to a delay in the receipt of supplies from Trinidad.
The call for calm, however, failed to quell the tempers of angry motorists who went on a hunt for petroleum yesterday. "Dem keep on a seh don't panic, everything criss, ship a come. Mi follow dem an' only buy $500 yesterday, now dat done and mi caan get none fi buy today," shouted an angry taxi operator.
Jamaica has been forced to import petroleum products from Trinidad and Venezuela, following an explosion two weeks ago at the Petrojam refinery which resulted in a shutdown of operations at the facility. The current shortage is reportedly linked to the fact that workers at Trinidad's state-owned oil refinery Petrotrin, have gone on strike.
