Fuel shortage continues to grip Berbice

A shortage of petrol continues to affect vehicle operators and other persons in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne). With limited supply in the county, operators also have to face an increase in the price at the pump.
In Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), it has been more than a week since vehicle operators especially have been finding it difficult to locate a service station that has fuel for sale.
The State-owned GuyOil has been supplying fuel to its two company-operated outlets in the region, ensuring that they are stocked. These are at Palmyra and Heathburn.
However, the private service stations have been receiving very small amounts of fuel from their respective suppliers, and not on a regular basis.
GuyOil and other suppliers have also increased the price at the pump as the price per litre moved from $216 to $219 on Wednesday.
On Wednesday a few gas stations in the region had fuel for sale, but within hours, it was depleted.
“I pass this gas station and go through Coburg Street looking for gas and there is no gas. The car ran out of gas through Coburg Street and then somebody told me that the gas station at the head of Coburg Street had gas. So, I had to go and get a bottle and buy a little to put in the car so that I could reach here and now I am filling up the tank,” Joann Erskine told this publication as she waited for her tank to be filled.
Last week, Region Six Chairman David Armogan in an invited comment explained that the main supplier, GuyOil, informed him that the company had encountered problems with its fuel boat to Berbice.
Armogan had said gasoline was being trucked to Berbice from the capital city, Georgetown, and since the fuel company only has two trucks in the region, it was only a very limited amount that was being made available to the region on a daily basis.
Sol has also been trucking fuel to outlets in the region that sell that brand of gas. One Sol gas station operator explained that supply is limited and noted that the fuel which arrived on Tuesday this week was ordered last week.
The operator explained that now he only receives a limited amount which might supply customers for a two-day period and then he will have to wait until more supplies come again.
Guyana Times was told that the limited supply is due to the fact that the Berbice River Bridge has reduced the tonnage being allowed to cross.
The Berbice River Bridge on October 14, issued a release stating that the previous day a barge loaded with sand collided with the bridge.
As a result, all trucks, tractors, and freight vehicles would only be able to cross the bridge with a maximum weight limit of 20 tonnes.
A Sol gas distributor explained to this newscast that the restrictions mean that the truck can only bring about half of its capacity.
The same factors are affecting GuyOil which only has two trucks to service the entire Region Six. Efforts to contact GuyOil for a comment on the situation proved futile. (Andrew Carmicheal)