CNI News
30 Oct 2022
Low gas pressures caused by blackouts have forced vehicles to queue a long time at CNG filling stations and drivers have to wait for one to two hours, U Myo Thant Kyu, a taxi driver, told the CNI.
He said, “In the past, we had to wait only 14 or 15 minutes. At present, we are not certain whether we will get filled even after waiting for a long time. In the past, we can drive the whole day after filling a 70-litre cylinder. Now, we can’t drive as long because the pressure is low. So, we see longer lines of vehicles."
Although long queues were sometimes seen at gas stations for a few days, the current delays have lasted for more than a month, according to drivers.
Having to wait a long time at gas stations, taxi drivers have a shorter time to transport passengers and their incomes have been dwindling, according to U Myo Thant Kyu.
A long queue of vehicles at filling stations.
He told the CNI, “We got as much as MMK 50,000 per day in the past even after we have paid the rental fees for the owners of the vehicles. At present, we are struggling to get MMK 10,000 for us.
In the past, drivers can fill gas 24 hours, gas stations are closed at 10.30 pm due to the 12 am curfew.
The longer queuing time and lower gas pressures were caused not only by blackouts but also to low supply of gas to stations, an official at the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise told the CNI.
A long queue of vehicles at filling stations.
He said, “We have generators for blackouts. When electricity is cut off, we can use them. However, we can use only two of the four generators we have. So, we have to see vehicles waiting for a long time and there are long lines of vehicles at stations. As the gas pressure is low, drivers cannot use them for a long time because gas supply is being provided from other sources like Chauk and Yadanar gas fields. If electricity is supplied regularly, the problem can be reduced.”
There are 41 gas stations in Yangon Region. There are six stations supplied by vehicles, 35 stations supplied by pipes and four stations for taxis and 31 gas stations for buses.
