Cape Town petrol tanks run dry

Ray Smuts THE GRIM, Zimbabwe-like spectre of empty petrol tanks loomed large in the Western Cape last week as motorists rushed to fill their tanks in the face of a temporary shortage, and in some cases found themselves driving away on the smell of an oil rag instead. This correspondent, responding to appeals by the Automobile Association of South Africa for motorists to keep their tanks “above quarter full” in view of a possible three-week petrol shortage, arrived at his regular service station only to be told “sorry”. The headache is due to the imminent closure of Caltex, the province’s only refinery (outside Cape Town), for its annual routine maintenance programme. This, coupled with refinery problems in November and December, has led to a reduction in petrol production. Despite assurances there will be ‘sufficient fuel for everyone” and that the situation is under control due to Caltex having secured alternate supplies to meet demand in the Western Cape, this has proved not to be the case for some. A welcome arrival, the first of several relief tankers to berth in Cape Town on Monday, was the Atair Star loaded with 6 million litres of petrol - enough for four days’ supply in the Western Cape. The Atair Star came from Durban but FTW learns most of the bigger consignments will be shipped from the Middle East. Motorists are not expected to have to foot the bill for these extra shipments but rather the petrol companies. (Those dependent on diesel or jet fuel are not at all affected).