Amid easing of the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions from Monday, petrol pump owners have decided not to sell fuel to customers arriving without face masks in view of the pandemic. "To ensure the safety of our staffers, we decided yesterday not to sell fuel to those not wearing face masks at fuel retail outlets across India in view of CoronavirusPandemic," said Ajay Bansal, president of All India Petroleum Dealers Association (AIPDA).
"Petrol pumps are open 365 days a year and 24x7. As the government has declared petrol pumps as essential services, our staff is in constant contact with the customer and in view of the situation, we have decided that any person who is not wearing a mask, shall not be allowed to purchase fuel," Bansal said. "This would be a good move for the customers and our staff as it would compel the customers to wear masks at all times."
As a result, more than 58,000 fuel retail outlets across India will decline refills for those customers who are not ready to wear masks. AIPDA has already launched the ‘No mask, No fuel’ campaign in this regard. According to Business Standard, around 84 per cent of the 68,761 fuel outlets across India are registered with the AIPDA.
The move comes even as petroleum dealers are facing "drastic impact" as sales have gone done by 90 per cent. "What we were selling previously before the lockdown, now we are only selling close to 10 per cent of that. We have suffered immensely," Bansal said.