Concerns over ‘ titulutulu’ fuel ban
PIGG’S PEAK – For local public transport operators, it is impossible to efficiently operate a fleet of vehicles without having to buy fuel using the now infamous titulutulu ( containers).
However, due to the recent insurgence which resulted in shops being looted, vandalised and some set alight, the purchase of fuel using containers has been suspended by government. This was done to prevent individuals from buying petrol to make petrol bombs.
The ban on using containers for purchasing petrol was issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy. This was done through a statement which was issued by Minister Peter Bhembe.
This has, in turn, resulted in genuine business operators such as those in the public transport sector being stopped from buying fuel using containers.
With the opening of schools looming, transport operators said they would not be able to operate the vehicles efficiently. They said they relied on buying fuel using containers as this was cheaper and more efficient. “You cannot send all your five vehicles to the filling station but you can send one with containers to refuel the other vehicles,” said a kombi owner.
According to an article published last Friday by the Times of Eswatini, it was reported that Cabinet was yet to decide on the reopening of schools. The Minister of Education and Training, Lady Mabuza, said Cabinet was expected to meet last Friday and that one of the items on the agenda was the reopening of schools.
Closed
The schools countrywide have remained closed due to the outbreak of COVID- 19.
Following Mabuza’s statement, some of the public transport operators wondered whether it would be possible to transport schoolchildren with the current ban on containers.
A public transport operator said this was because it was expensive to do so as filling stations were only near major towns. They also said sending all vehicles at once would mean waiting in queues which would slow the public transport operations. He said during peak hours, public transport operators relied on only a few vehicles.
* Jomo, who operates vehicles along the Madlengempisi/ Buhleni route which also links with Manzini, said should schools reopen, it would be difficult to run his transport business with the current arrangement.
He said currently, most public transport operators were already grounded as they were not able to buy petrol using containers.
He also said the other challenge was that there was a shortage of fuel despite the recent deliveries around the country. He said the biggest challenge was that some filling stations were busier than others, meaning that only remote ones still had enough fuel. “Some of the filling stations are allowing us to buy using containers but this is risky,” said Jomo.
Meanwhile, some members of t he public, including transport operators, still use containers to purchase fuel. This was observed last Friday when some motorists were spotted carrying petrol in containers. They did this to avoid long queues as several vehicles piled up due to the shortage of fuel in other towns.