SHARJAH // The opening of five new petrol stations in Sharjah city has been welcomed by motorists frustrated by waiting in long queues to refuel.
Adnoc Distribution announced that five former Enoc service stations had been rebranded and would open to customers in the Wasit suburb and the Al Rawdha, Al Deyar, Al Salamah and Al Buhaira neighbourhoods.
It is hoped that the move, which brings the number of Adnoc stations in Sharjah to 85, will mean an end to the days of drivers struggling to fill up their vehicles.
Khaled Rida, who lives in Al Qasba, said the reopening of petrol pumps on Al Khan street means he can now refuel in the morning on his way to work, avoiding the long queues each night and hopefully cutting down on the amount of time he spends commuting.
“Typically, once I return from Dubai to Sharjah I’m exhausted from the long drive and eager to reach home and see my family, but I have to stop in a long queue at a petrol station.
“Now with this one opening on my morning route, it will be easier for me to fill my tank -instead of wasting more time on the road,” said the 31-year-old Palestinian.
Sharjah motorists’ fuel problems stretch back to 2013 when Enoc and Eppco stopped supplying petrol to the Northern Emirates. The Sharjah Government issued a 72-hour ultimatum to Enoc to resume refuelling or close down all its stations. This was not met and the pumps were closed.
The move meant petrol shortages for motorists who were forced to drive long distances out of their way to fill up every few days.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, intervened and ordered Adnoc to step in and take over those forecourts that lay idle.
Emirati Said Ahmad said the Wasit station, located on the intersection of Wasit Street and Sheikh Khaled bin Khaled Al Qassimi Street, was a big boost to people living near by and those driving through the emirate and on to Ajman.
“We used to wait for a long period of time at the old station. The new one is wider and has more pumps, which is a joy to residents living here and to motorists driving towards Ajman,” the 26-year-old said.
The Al Rawdha service station is on Industrial Road 3, while motorists can find the Deyar station on Al Orouba Street in the Al Khan area. The Al Salamah station is on Al Ittihad Road before Al Khan Bridge and the Al Buhaira station is in Al Majaz.
“Opening five rebranded stations is part of our announcement to provide additional service stations by the end of 2016. Our future expansion plans include making further stations and services available during 2017 and beyond,” said Saeed Al Rashdi, acting chief executive officer of Adnoc Distribution.
Adnoc Distribution will open another six stations in Sharjah by the end of the year, taking the total number to 91.
“We at Adnoc Distribution are keen to broaden our presence across the UAE as part of our commitment to providing seamless services to the largest possible customer base. This can be done either through building new service stations or re-operating current ones according to our agreement with Enoc,” Mr Al Rashdi said.
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