Bangkok Post – Thailand: Petrol stations forced to close at midnight (ShellNews.net)
Aug 24, 2004
Petrol service station operators have agreed to shut down from midnight to 5am, after the Energy Business Department threatened to revive an emergency decree last used during the 1973 energy crisis.
The department yesterday told executives of 18 local oil companies, including PTT Plc, Shell, Caltex, Esso, Bangchak Petroleum Plc, Q8 and Conoco (Thailand), that the regulations listed under the decree governing filling station operating hours would be enforced.
All of the companies agreed with the request to close their stations nationwide from midnight until 5am, said Viroj Klangboonkrong, the department's director-general.
The measure would reduce their combined total sales by less than 25% and would not affect employment much since each station typically employed half as many staff for the night shift as opposed to daytime.
The department will seek cabinet approval today to use the decree to enforce the new operating hours at 17,000 stations nationwide.
Mr Viroj said, however, the regulations would be loosened for some transport services that are required by law to run at night, such as 10-wheel trucks and buses, which would be allowed to fill up after midnight at selected stations along major highways.
The pump price of premium petrol is now 21.79 baht a litre, compared to the actual market price of 22.35 baht. Regular petrol is 20.39 baht, compared to 20.99 baht on the open market.
The Excise Department will also propose a surcharge on people who use too much fuel, such as three-car families.
The government could use the money to develop alternative energy or subsidise public transport fares, including air-conditioned buses, and electric trains.
The planned fund would be similar to the government's health promotion fund that collects a surcharge from liquor and tobacco consumers, the energy-saving fund that collects four satang per litre on all kinds of oil, and the oil fund that charges 30-50 satang per litre of petrol and diesel.
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