MOTORISTS EXPERIENCE FIRST DAY OF PUMP YOUR OWN PETROL
▶ Adnoc queues minimal for Dh10 fee attendant service on first day
Even early in the day, filling up with petrol at the Adnoc station in Khalifa City usually involves a lengthy queue. Yesterday morning was different.
The service station, the first on the way into Abu Dhabi after the international airport, has split into two. At the first group of pumps, the queues were still there as motorists opted to pump their own fuel, but for the Adnoc “premium service” for an extra Dh10, the lines were absent.
Yesterday was the first day of “pay-to-pump” at the capital’s Adnoc stations, giving motorists the option to fill their own tanks or to pay an attendant, following several weeks of a free trial.
In more than 40°C degree heat, and the chance of a swift getaway, the likelihood is that many will be tempted to pay a little bit extra for the convenience and comfort of the attendant service.
At the Khalifa City Adnoc, the pay pumps are in a newly constructed section. Only a few drivers opted to pay the Dh10 fee, and seemed mostly to be behind the wheels of more expensive models and 4x4s.
At least one driver doubled back after realising a fee was now being collected. In the self-service areas, commercial vehicles and smaller Japanese saloon cars predominated, perhaps reflecting how much Dh10 means to some pockets.
Senior citizens and people with special needs are exempt from the charges.
At the pay pumps, attendants explained the new procedure and the cost of their services. After paying, motorists are given a leaflet about the new Premium Rewards service, with offers on everything, from a discounted cup of coffee to 25 per cent off a car wash service.
The rewards are redeemed by presenting your payment receipt and can only be used for one of the offers at a time. The cost of a car wash, at nearly Dh40 when VAT is added, effectively cancels out the pump charge.
About 40 stations will initially take part in the service, called Adnoc Flex, which was announced in April.
It will expand to include the MyStation service, that will allow customers to request a delivery of fuel or an LPG gas cylinder to their home by a fuel lorry.
Adnoc has said that the changes will give customers more choice, with opinion polls showing that most drivers say they would rather pump their own petrol than pay a fee.
The first serious test of the new system will come today with the morning rush hour at the start of the working week. At least July will bring some good news for motorists – the price of petrol is falling.