Return of round-the-clock petrol sales welcomed
Petroleum companies yesterday welcomed the Cabinet's decision to lift restrictions on petrol stations' service hours, saying that closing from 10pm to 5am did little to save energy.
State-owned energy conglomerate PTT plans to open about 40 per cent of its petrol stations round the clock after the limits on working hours end on Friday, said president Prasert Bunsumpun. He welcomed the Cabinet's approval of recommendations from Energy Minister Piyasvasti Amranand to end the restrictions, saying, "We should let market mechanisms function, in order to enable the private sector to maximise its resources and promote convenience for car users." Prasert said he believed the closure of petrol stations from 10pm did not help much to save energy. At present, PTT has 1,217 stations, 30-40 per cent of which will be selected to stay open round the clock, he said. The end of the restriction, combined with a marketing fee of Bt1.70 a litre, should not intensify competition, because investors do not currently regard the energy sector as an attractive investment. Esso (Thailand) executive Choomchanit Jitman said 24-hour service would make it more convenient for drivers. "I don't think it will increase energy consumption. As it turned out, drivers filled their tanks before the petrol stations closed anyway." He said petrol stations themselves did not save much energy because of the restrictions. "When we closed, we had to leave the lights on for the convenience stores inside the stations. We had to leave the lights on all night anyway to prevent crime," he said. Shell Thailand executive Suphan Suthisan said the measure to close petrol stations at 10pm had cut energy consumption only during the initial period. But customers soon adjusted their habits to the new service hours, and the situation returned to normal. He said the 24-hour service would be convenient for customers and increase sales for those convenience stores located inside the stations. As for the Energy Ministry's plan to collect contributions for the Oil Fund from the export of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from next month, Prasert said the measure should be temporary, lasting only six to 12 months. If it lasts longer than that, the accelerating use of LGP in vehicles may result in a shortage of LPG supplies. Moreover, the requirement for contributions to the Oil Fund will discourage investment in new LPG plants.
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