AMMAN — Some Amman residents complained of the
absence of petrol stations in some districts of the capital, which experts
attribute to the Energy and Minerals Regulatory Authority’s approval of
geographic areas where new stations can be licensed.
اضافة اعلان
In some major Amman roads like Abdullah Ghosheh in
the Seventh Circle, and Wadi Abdoun, off the Abdoun neighborhood, there are two
petrol stations in each street, meters apart.
However, in Shafa Badran, a motorist may drive a few
kilometers before finding a gas station.
Abdul Al-Rahman Al-Awamla, a citizen who lives in
Sweifieh area, told
Jordan News that he has to drive a “long distance”
to fill up his car.
“This takes some effort, and incurs additional
expense, especially with the high prices of gasoline and oil derivatives,” he
groaned.
He said that the absence of fuel stations in some
districts “is a serious challenge, and if we calculate the long-term cost of
driving elsewhere to fill up the car’s gas tank, the amount will be enormous”.
Awamla questioned how people who live in outlying
villages, or remote areas can cope. “They may need to travel a long distance to
fill up their cars with gasoline, or get fuel to heat up their homes.”
“What would they do in cases of emergency?” he
asked.
Shadi Al-Rawashdeh, a 33-year-old public servant,
said that “sometimes, my car runs out of petrol, and cuts me off in the middle
of the road.”
“In remote areas, I have to walk for several
kilometers to find a gas station,” he said. “This is due to the poor
distribution of gas stations in Amman, and the suffocating traffic jams, which
forces a higher consumption of gas.”
“We need more fuel stations,” he declared. “Most
importantly, the concerned authorities should encourage the new ones to set in
areas with high population density.”
Energy and mineral expert Hashem Akel told
Jordan
News that the poor distribution in the locations of gas stations affects
many residents in some areas of the capital.
Akel called on the concerned authorities to adopt
objective studies that help in determining the correct and right standards for
the distribution of gas stations.
“The licensing procedure should not just be limited
to a geographical approval,” he said. “It should be according to careful
studies by urban planners who can determine the locations ripe for licensing
new stations.”
Energy expert Amer Al-Shobaki called for the need to
study the problem of distributing gas stations extensively, and to conduct the
necessary studies.
He said that “constitutes a defect in the population
distribution and planning systems, not to mention that facilitating the
licensing process will open the door for investments in a large scale.”
The general manager of one of the famous gas
stations in the capital, who asked not to be identified further, said that
petrol stations are governed by strict laws and regulations.
“We submitted a request to the Energy and Minerals
Regulatory Authority to set up a fuel station in an area that was in dire need
of a station due to the presence of a large number of citizens living in it,
but the request was rejected at that time under the pretext that the land on
which the station will be built belongs to a residential neighborhood,” the
businessman said.
Head of the Syndicate of Owners of Gas Stations and
Distribution Centers Nahar Al-Saidat said that there are “many conditions
governing the licensing of fuel stations”.
“Licensing a fuel station is not an easy task,” he told
Jordan News. He said that the process takes long as it “is subject to
the approval and control” of various government agencies.
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