Panic, bad temper at Chch garages

Press, 28 March 1979, Page 1

Panic, bad temper at Chch garages

Panicking pensioners, lay-offs, and shorttempered motorists are just some of the problems garage owners are encountering with the weekend ban on petrol sales. A slump in sales — as much as 30 per cent in some cases — hectic business on Fridays, and almost no business at all on Mondays and Tuesdays complete a very gloomy picture for the stations. “I’m being hit hard,”

said one owner, “and I don’t like it.” Even those whose stations are allowed to remain open for emergency supplies at the week-end are unhappy. There are four such garages in Christchurch, but only one, the Blue Star Taxis depot in Moorhouse Avenue, is getting any appreciable business for the privilege. Others, such as the Papanui Petroldrome, count themselves lucky to get five permits in the whole week-end. While most motorists have accepted the petrol restrictions, pensioners seem to have panicked and are holding up service by topping up their tanks with viutually the dribble from the bowser nozzle. One motorist filled up the tank of his late model Cortina with 27c worth of petrol — about a milk bottle and a half. He would have spent more money in

getting to the garage than the petrol was worth, according to one proprietor. Another proprietor said that pensioners held up the flow of traffic with requests for small amounts. “They even spill it on the ground, they are so obsessed with getting the petrol,” said the manager of Riccarton BP Services (Mr A. Nuttridge). Mr J. Gallagher, manager of the Dallington Service Station, where the 27c

order was taken, said pensioners were “dead scared.” “They have had it drummed into them that they won’t get petrol any more.” Business has dropped 30 per cent at Stadium Motors and the Marshland Garage. Others have been more fortunate: a 7 per cent drop at the Dallington Service Station and 6 per cent at the Petroldrome. The owners consider themsleves lucky. Week-end staff at most

stations have been laid o.", and staff who leave in normal turnover are not being replaced. The Dallington station had laid off five casual attendants, ■'men who look to the money to pay off their fifth mortgf.ges,” as Mr Gallagher put it. The few exceptions include the Lyttelton Service Station, which was not open after noon on Saturday before the ban was imposed, and Stan Wheatley, Ltd, which is one of the bigger stockists of spare parts in Christchurch. The sale of parts has barely been affected, according to the manager (Mr P. Norris).. Highway garages have been particularly hard hit, according to the manager of the Marshland Service Station (Mr N. S. Ward). Sundays used to be among his best days; now he finds that he is hit badly on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Other proprietors have had to deal with irritated motorists queueing up for petrol on Friday afternoon. “Some become quite violent if they think someone has beaten them to a place in the queue,” said Mr Nuttridge. The Friday crush has encouraged some motorists to fill up on a Thursday, a common pay-day for many workers. Consequently extra staff are taken on from 3.30 p-m. until about 9 p.m. to cope with the increased flow. Business is slack at all stations on Mondays and Tuesdays, after the first two hours. People are now filling up in the morning, or when they go home from work in the evening. Housewives seem to be concentrating all their shopping in one visit.