QUEUES AT BOLGA FILLING STATIONS REDUCING (Daily Graphic, Saturday, November 8, 2008 PAGE 23)

THE long queues at the various fuel filling stations in Bolgatanga and Navrongo, which were the result of the shortage of fuel in the area have started disappearing, following the arrival of supplies.
Most fuel station managers had reported on Monday that they had run short of supplies and that had led to the disruption of transport services in the municipality.
Commuters have to walk long distances while motorists have been hopping from one fuel station to the other in search of petroleum products.
While motorists have been accusing the managers of the fuel filling stations of hoarding the products due to the announcement of a reduction in prices, the managers have denied this, stressing that they have genuinely run out of stock.
A visit to some filling stations on Thursday indicated that fuel tankers had been supplying the stations with their products.
It would be recalled that the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) announced a 10.02 per cent reduction in petrol and 8.46 per cent reduction in diesel.
After the announcement of the reduction in fuel prices last Saturday, filling stations at Bolgatanga stopped selling fuel with the excuse that they did not have supplies.
A few taxi drivers who had fuel took advantage of the situation to hike their fares.
For instance, last Tuesday,the fare for a journey from the main taxi rank to the Bolgatanga Hospital which used be 40 pesewas per passenger, increased to GH¢3.
Besides, instead of picking four passengers, some of the taxi drivers resorted to picking six passengers. The situation has, however, began normalising.
At the NASONA Filling Station in the Bolgatanga municipality, a tanker was seen discharging petroleum products. An attendant at the station told the Daily Graphic that they would sell both diesel and petrol to motorists at the new prices.
A driver who spoke to this reporter said with the arrival of the products, he was hopeful that the right fares would be charged.