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Drivers of heavy vehicles, pick-up vans face fines

SHARJAH — Drivers of heavy vehicles and pick-up vans found queueing up for hours while waiting to buy diesel at all Adnoc petrol stations in the emirates, would be fined Dh400 and issued four black points from today.

The heavy vehicles and pick-ups block the roads and impede traffic movement as well as cause inconvenience to the residents living in the vicinity of Adnoc stations.

The Sharjah Police have regulated the hours of filling for trucks and pick-ups. "The heavy vehicles will be allowed to line up from 12 midnight to 5am and pick-ups will be allowed to line up from 11pm to 5am. Any of this vehicles found violating such timing would be fines and issued four black points.

A top officer in Sharjah Police pointed out that residents of Al Ramtha, Al Shahba, Mirgab and Wasit had lodged a joint complaint about drivers of heavy vehicles and pick-ups sleeping at their doorsteps, invading their privacy and causing insecurity.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, heavy vehicle drivers said the main reason of crowding at Adnoc stations was the lower price of a gallon of diesel. Adnoc charges Dh8.6 for one gallon of diesel while gas stations belonging to Emarat, Enoc, Eppco sell it for Dh18.75 after giving a discount of 50 fils on the original price of Dh19.25 a gallon.

Yasir Fazul, heavy vehicle driver, said the buyers could save Dh10 on each gallon of diesel. Zafir Khan, truck driver, said some of the people who are not even drivers, stand in the line to buy diesel in order to sell it in black market. Some of the buyers come to fill diesel so that they could smuggle it to Oman. Some others just stand in the queue only to 'sell' their turn to others when it comes. Heavy vehicles drivers have urged the police to look into all these aspects and take necessary action.