Qatar Fuel (Woqod) will introduce a newly designed fuel dispensing machine with hoses on the top in order to fill vehicles irrespective of whether the tanks are on the right or left side.
"The new machine would ease the congestion at fuel stations considerably," Woqod CEO Ibrahim Jaham al-Kuwari told local Arabic daily Arrayah.
Since most vehicles have their tank on the left, the corresponding lines at fuel stations are always longer, compared to the bays for vehicles with tanks on their right.
Earlier, station attendants used to haul the hose to the other side and fill fuel whether the tank was on left or right. But, of late, they have stopped doing it, understandably on account of instructions from Woqod.
"Woqod is also set to introduce a new automatic payment - "Fill and go" - system by the end of this year," chairman Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani revealed.
The company has already started this e-pay system in an experimental phase which will go on until the end of this month. The system is meant to ease congestion at fuel stations.
"The e-pay system will link the vehicle plate number and the owner's mobile number to the vending machine. When vehicles linked to the system uses the machines, the system will read the plate number and fuel the car and simultaneously send a SMS to the registered mobile number with information about the quantity and price.
"The new system is a very good opportunity for families to plan their budget for fuel and monitor their spending, especially when some families have many cars. Besides, it would be a great saving for companies and government bodies," he explained.
Regarding the replacement of the metal LPG cylinders with the new generation Shafaf cylinders, the chairman said Woqod is spreading awareness among the public that Shafaf is more safe and secure, especially with high quality regulators provided by the company.
There is a campaign to compensate those who replace the metal cylinder with Shafaf by paying QR100 per cylinder.
Sheikh Saoud stressed that Woqod has a well-studied plan to replace all the metal LPG cylinders in the market with Shafaf but on a gradual basis to avoid any disruption in supply.
"Last year, Woqod sold 6.5mn LPG cylinders, some of them new and some refill, including 5.1mn metal ones. By the end of the third quarter of this year, the number of cylinders sold was up to 5.3mn and it is expected to increase further by the year-end."
The chairman reiterated that Woqod is going to introduce seven new fuel stations by the end of this year, thereby increasing the number of Woqod fuel stations by 50% in one year.
As of 2014, there were only 24 Woqod fuel stations.
"Woqod is co-ordinating with the Ministry of Transport to modify the exits and entry points of its fuel stations to avoid spill over of queues of vehicles on to the roads," he pointed out.
Trucks are also assigned specific timing to refill at fuel stations in coordination with the Traffic Department to ease the waiting time.
The company is currently building 19 new fuel stations, including the seven set for opening this year.
"Woqod is using mobile stations as a temporary and urgent solution to meet the demand of consumers, especially in the remote areas of the country," the chairman added.
