April 10, 2022
Published: 1692
The serious shortage of diesel that the country is suffering is not only being felt at service stations in the region, but is deepening week by week. As a consequence, almost all are limiting the sale of fuel to no more than 100 or 200 liters of fuel per customer.
The problem – several dealers referred to the Bahian newspaper La Nueva – is not the provision of fuel by the oil companies, but the notable increase in demand.
A survey carried out in the area showed that only one service station said it was receiving 50% of the diesel that was sent before; the vast majority, on the other hand, agreed that the companies have ensured the historical average of liters that each received at this time of year.
“The supply (of diesel) is normal. They don’t send you more, but they don’t send you less either. The problem is that the demand rose a lot. More and more trucks come from outside to load and they all tell you the same thing: that they stop in all the towns because nowhere do they sell more than 50 or 100 liters. And in many places they want to charge more,” said Tomás, an employee at the Uruñuela service station, owned by Coronel Pringles.
The lack of fuel -key to guarantee the transport of loads and the operation of agricultural machinery- began to be noticed approximately two months ago and is deepening day after day.
“As in other areas of the country there is no diesel, the trucks load where they can. That is why about two months ago the decision was made to deliver no more than 150 liters to the Pringles trucks, and 100 to those who come from outside, “said the stationer.
250 kilometers from there, in Pedro Luro, businesswoman Elsa Christiansen described an identical situation. “The company assured us the same number of liters as always, but more and more trucks stop to load diesel because they can’t find the amount they need at other service stations. That is why we do not sell more than 100 liters per customer, at least so that they can continue their journey”, explained the owner of the local station, which runs the Shell flag.
“We cannot complain about the company, because the delivery is carried out normally. What we cannot do is absorb the demand from other stations, because there is no more fuel. The situation is difficult throughout the sector,” he added.
The businesswoman pointed out that the final price of diesel is far behind the general increase in costs.
“That is why if someone comes to buy large quantities, we cannot sell to them. All companies have been like this for at least a month or more,” he said.
Maximiliano Schimmel, manager of the Coronel Suárez Transport Cooperative, an entity that owns a YPF flag station, clarified that last month they suffered from a lack of diesel “for several days” due “not to a poor supply of fuel, but to a excessive demand.
“In fact, we sold more liters than the historical average for March, but the demand exceeded us. Many truckers from other areas came to load desperately, with ‘their tongue hanging out’, about to run out of fuel”, he mentioned.
The manager pointed out that at the cooperative station a liter of diesel is sold for 114 pesos, although truckers arrive who report that they have been demanded in other areas “exorbitant values” close to 200 pesos.
“This is why we have taken measures: tankers are not loaded, and we sell between 100 and 200 liters to outside trucks, which are not customers. For affiliates there are no restrictions, but it depends on availability. We are being very cautious,” he said.
Mario, an employee of an Axion station located in Coronel Dorrego, mentioned that in that dispenser the delivery of liters suffered a cut. “The quota was reduced by half. That with respect to common diesel, but they have already warned that the same thing is going to happen with Premium”, he confided “The sale, therefore, is not on free demand, but rather we are regulating it according to stock and needs. For example, if a truck goes to Bahia, we know that 150 liters is enough; Now, if you have to go to Necochea and we have it, we give you a little more there,” he said.
The manager pointed out that some clients understand this, but others are worried because they anticipate “that it will not reach the agricultural sector” when the times of greatest consumption come.
Source: The New