Directorate of Jal Agha Fuel: new mechanism will be implemented to distribute diesel

The Jal Agha Fuel Directorate in al-Jaziar area is still making great efforts to provide a solution to the problem of the suspension of the service diesel allocations to the drivers of public transport on the Jal Agha-Qamishlo Road, which reached its second month after detecting violations by a number of registered vehicles that are not being run on the route.

According to Dara Mohammed Yousef, an official at the Fuel Office, there are about 250 registered vehicles with the Drivers' Union. The monitoring showed that only 60 to 100 of these vehicles are actually working on the route, while the rest of the vehicles get their allocations without serving the specified service routes.

He said that the directorate, in collaboration with the Transportation Office and the Drivers’ Union, has started the development of a new system based on identifying and updating the list of vehicles that are actually running. It will facilitate the start of monthly allocation in one time, rather than distributing the subsidies on a daily basis via the gasoline stations in Qamishlo and Derik.

Yousef explained that the directorate was seeking to achieve a reasonable solution, which ensures the delivery of subsidized diesel to the drivers who fulfill the requirements, as well as to take actions against those who violate. He clarified that the suggestions submitted by the drivers were accepted and would be studied for approval soon.

On the other hand, driver Hussein Mulla Khalil Youssef said that the two-month suspension of subsidizing diesel fuel has caused most of the transport vehicles to stop running, where only a few vehicles have continued to run using the purchased diesel from the black market.

He further mentioned that the drivers have been constantly contacting the competent authorities demanding to return their subsidized fuel allowance, but no solution was received yet. He stressed that the existence of vehicles that do not conform to the rules does not mean punishing everyone, only those who violate the rule must be punished.

On his part, driver Masoud Mahmoud said that the expensive price of diesel fuel from the black market, in addition to his inability to pay its cost made him stop his work. He also stated that the crisis had resulted in heavy financial losses to the drivers and bad impact on the transportation service as well.

He demanded the establishment of a system that will help to ensure the distribution of subsidies to those who are eligible and ensure that vehicles follow the route they are supposed to follow.

Discussions are continuing between the Directorate of Fuel, Transportation office and the drivers, hoping the implementation of the new system which will resolve the crisis and resume the distribution of diesel fuel allowance to vehicles on Jal Agha-Qamishlo route.

ANHA