Fuel scarcity likely as bowser operaters fail to turn up for duty: Tanker Owners’ Assn

21 April 2022 09:19 am Views - 186

• Bowser owners are reluctant to report to work over personal safety issues following island wide mass protests 
• From 250 bowsers which transport fuel on a daily basis only six have turned up

By Chaturanga Samarawickrama  

The fuel distribution in the country may grind to a halt due to owners of fuel bowsers failing to turn up for duties at the Kolonnawa refinery yard following  widespread protests and unrest in the country, the Sri Lanka Petroleum Private Tanker Owners’ Association (SLPPTOA) said yesterday.  

In a letter to the Manager of the Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Limited (CPSTL) at the Kolonnawa Terminal, the Association said that the bowser owners are reluctant or unable to report to work over personal safety issues following mass protests almost everywhere in the country.  Therefore, it is not possible to run the bowsers for fuel distribution. A fleet of nearly 250 bowsers transport fuel to many parts of the country on a daily basis, whereas only six were present yesterday. Those bowser owners are from the western province, “the association said.  

The association has said they would report to work after they receive a written assurance from the CPSTL to provide a safer method to continue fuel distribution.