There is respite as long queues of vehicles at filling stations in Kano state have begun to dwarf in the commercial city, BizPoint has observed on Sunday.
Also, observation by this newspaper had shown that the crowd and rowdy atmosphere at the filling stations have begun to disappear.
BizPoint reports that for months, motorists in the state had faced difficulties in buying Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, otherwise known as petroleum at filling stations, particularly major marketers where the product is sold at N185 per litre official pump price.
This newspaper observed that at the height of the scarcity, long queues at filling stations that sell petroleum at N185/ litre were seen spanning the roads, causing traffic gridlock across the city.
It was also observed that the situation deteriorated to the extent that motorists, especially commercial drivers, had to sleep at filling stations in order to get the product early in the morning at an official price.
The situation had inflicted hardship on motorists and even residents as prices of goods and services, including transport fares had gone up as a result of the scarcity of petroleum in the state.
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However, observation by this newspaper indicated that at the peak of the scarcity, there were no queues at private filling stations where the product was sold at up to N320 a litre.
Motorists were easily buying petroleum at those private filling stations, but at exorbitant prices.
However, as at Sunday morning, observation had shown that the long queues at the major marketers’ filling stations had been reduced drastically.
Our reporter, who visited some of the filling stations around Kano metropolis, observed that there was adequate supply of the petroleum.
The reporter also observed that majority of the filling stations were selling the product simultaneously, probably the reason why the queues had dwarfed.
At AA Rano filling station, located along Lagos Street, it was observed that only a few vehicles were on queue outside, as others were already inside waiting to be attended to.
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Similarly at NNPC filling station along Club Road, our reporter observed that only a few commercial tricycle operators waiting outside as all the automobiles present at the moment were inside the station buying the petroleum.
The same situation at NNPC along Ibrahim Taiwo Road.
At AYM Shafa, along Ibrahim Taiwo Road, the queue was short and the product was being sold to motorists in earnest.
A motorist, Gambo Sani, said he was surprised to see a few vehicles on queue waiting to buy petroleum as against last week.
“I spent almost 7 hours to get petroleum at N185 last week. The queue was very long. But to my surprise, i came here, NNPC along Ibrahim Taiwo Road, but see me inside the filling station with only three cars she’s of me to get the product.
“Surprisingly, i have not spent 20 minutes here. From all indication, the scarcity is begging to be over. I am happy to see this development,” Sani said.
Another motorist, who identified herself as Hajara, said she was informed by her younger brother that he passed by AA Rano, along Lagos Street but the queue was not long.
“I didn’t believe him until when he swore to God and insisted that there is no long queue. I have just come here and from all indication, i will not spend up to twenty minutes to get the product,” Hajara said.
BizPoint observed similar situation at NNPC filling station along Katsina Road, and BUK Road respectively.
All the crowd and rowdy atmosphere that was hitherto visible at the filling stations in the state had vanished.
When contacted for comment, Chairman, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Alhaji Bashir Dan-Mallam, was not reachable as his phone was off when our reporter put a call to him.
Also, as at the time of filing this report, Dan-Mallam did not reply the text message sent to him.
