Bloomberg to extend petrol rationing in NY
PETROL rationing in New York City will extend at least until Friday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said yesterday.
The odd-even system based on licence plate numbers, launched to help cope with dramatic fuel shortages after Superstorm Sandy, has helped reduce long queues for fuel, but a third of the city’s retail stations are not yet operating, the mayor said in a statement.
“The odd-even licence plate system has worked well and helped to reduce wait times and lines at the pump,” the mayor said.
“With 30 per cent of gas stations still closed and a major travel week coming, I am extending the successful odd-even system on gas and diesel fuel purchases to ensure we do not risk going back to the extreme queues we saw prior to the system being implemented.”
Officials will re-evaluate how long to keep the system in place, a City Hall spokeswoman said.
The region was hard hit by fuel shortages due to power outages and inventory stranded at refineries and terminals that suffered flooding and major damage. The rationing started on 9 November.