The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

Fuel suppliers yesterday reassured Bahamians they have sufficient fuel stocks to cope with Hurricane Irma, saying there was no need for a repeat of the "panic buying" witnessed in Hurricane Matthew's aftermath.

Valentino Hanna, Esso (Bahamas) country manager, told Tribune Business: "We are well supplied now, and we will have supply certainly through the duration of the passing of this storm.

"We have put on on extra deliveries to the stations to ensure they remain topped up. We will continue to provide fuel to the motoring public right up until it is no longer safe to do so, at which time we will shut down."

He added: "As soon as the all-clear is given our team will be back out to see if it is safe to reopen the stations and begin replenishing supplies as soon as the trucks can make it to Clifton and to the service stations.

"There is no need for what happened the last time to occur again. We really don't need that sort of panic buying, which really caused shortages at the site level but not at the island level."

Gas stations were inundated with customers following Hurricane Matthew's passage, sparked by fears of fuel shortages after pictures began circulating of a destroyed Clifton jetty where supplies were typically unloaded from tankers. Fuel wholesalers, however, subsequently dispelled that rumour.

Vasco Bastian, operator of the Esso station at East Street and Soldier Road, told Tribune Business that Bahamians were being proactive ahead of Hurricane Irma.

"People are being very proactive. They are coming in to full up vehicles and gas containers for their generators," he said.

"People are behaving very orderly and taking hurricane preparation very seriously. Everything is going fine. I couldn't be happier with my people. They are behaving themselves and they are being proactive, buying diesel, gas and ice."

Earlier this week, Rubis (Bahamas) issued a notice informing Bahamians that it has "adequate stocks" of unleaded gasoline and diesel fuel at its Clifton terminal to supply its service stations throughout September and October 2017.

"Rubis has implemented its hurricane response plan and is fully prepared in the event that Hurricane Irma impacts the Bahamas," the company said.

Sit Franklyn Wilson, chairman of FOCOL Holdings, the Shell operator, told Tribune Business: "FOCOL is very well positioned to meet what we hope would not happen, but should it happen we believe we have taken all practical steps in preparation.

"We certainly are in better position now than we were with Hurricane Matthew. At Matthew we were reasonably well-positioned. We have taken the necessary steps with the added advantage since Hurricane Matthew to strengthen our infrastructure capacity, and we are highly confident that we are prepared."