Petrol flows; but new vote today

Press, 28 November 1980, Page 1

Petrol flows; but new vote today

Deliveries of petrol and oil from Christchurch oil installations resumed yesterday after oil storemen agreed to return to work after lifting their ban on discharging tanker ships. When they resumed, work was again offered to tanker drivers who had been suspended when they refused earlier this week to load out from valves turned on by management after the storemen had turned them off. Almost ail Christchurch North Canterbury, and Mid-Canterbury service stations had run out of petrol by late on Wednesday while commercial users were running critically low. These were being serviced yesterday. But reporters yesterday afternoon found .that only a third of the city’s 140 service stations had received any petrol by 3 p.m.

Those that received deliveries had queues of up

to 30 cars and did not expect to have any petrol left by this morning. Those that had not had deliveries were expecting them either last evening or this morning — if the drivers and oil storemen report for work after their stop-work meeting at 7 a.m. today. Some service stations had been out of petrol for up to 10 days. Blue Star taxis managed to keep running on Wednesday evening and its Moorhouse Avenue service station received an emergency delivery yesterday morning in time for the taxis to top up their tanks. At one stage late on Wednesday suction pumps were used to suck petrol out of three almostempty tanks into a fourth. The normal pumps are not capable of drawing petrol from the bottom of the tanks.

The manager of Blue Star Taxis, Mr K. J, Murphy,

said that another matter which helped taxis stay on the road was the generosity of service station owners in places such as Tai Tapu, who had telephoned with offers of petrol.

The Blue Star service station was not selling petrol to the public yesterday because of the uncertainty of whether the tanker drivers and storemen would continue working today, said Mr Murphy. If more petrol was delivered today, he would review the situation. However, petrol was being sold to what he described as essential users such as bakery vans, nurses, and doctors. Raceway Motors, in Addington, sold 3100 litres of petrol in 90 minutes yesterday, as soon as a small delivery of 13,000 litres was made. The station’s supply tanks have a capacity of 100,000 litres. A spokesman said he expected that this petrol

would be. sold by this morning, at the latest.’ The station was previously “dry” for eight days.

Several service stations on main routes had not received petrol yesterday afternoon, and were not optimistic about getting any today. Crown Crystal Glass at Hornby had been assured of a delivery of fuel.oil by the oil company which normally serviced it, said the manager, Mr D. A. Jamieson.

Many dairies and householders had less milk yesterday morning because of the shut-down on Wednesday of the Canterbury Dairy Farmers-milk treatment station at midday. The general manager, Mr G. B. Lorigan, said that there was a shortfall of. about 30 per cent. Milk vendors were able -to deliver the rationed, milk but many would incur Josses in ■ the week’s trading because of extra expense, involved ;in travelling fur-

ther to get petrol and because of the reduced amount of milk available to deliver.

Mr Lorigan said that normal supplies of milk would be available today.

The chairman of the Milk Vendors’ Association Mr I. M. Murray, said that the association might have to consider applying to the Milk Board to help recover costs.

Motor Trades Association members held a meeting at the Hillsborough Tavern yesterday morning after earlier threatening to turn on the valves and drive the tankers themselves.

The association’s spokesman, Mr B. B. Halliday, said the meeting was attended by about 160 service station owners from as far as Ashburton and some North Canterbury towns. The meeting began at 9.30 a.m., by which time tanker drivers were already' on the road. Three union officials,

Messrs R. A. Lowe, P. R. Liggett, and R. J. Campbell. accepted an invitation to attend the meeting of service station owners and were praised by Mr Halliday for having the courage to face the hostile and angry garage owners. Mr Campbell. ' who is advocate for both unions, told them that the unions would meet again this morning but would make a decision on whether to continue normal work on the basis of the reaction by the companies to the proposals accepted by the union, and would not be dictated to by the garage owners.

Mr Halliday said the meeting had achieved its object and the owners had "made their point.” They would call another meeting within two hours of hearing about any resumption in the dispute.

There was “considerably less” traffic into and out of Christchurch yesterday,

according to the Ministry ot Transport. Commuters were travelling slower than usual, in an apparent effort to save fuel, said Senior-Ser-geant R. J. Dellow. No speeding tickets were issued in Christchurch yesterday morning, which was very unusual.

The Christchurch Transport Board’s traffic superintendant, Mr E. H. Saundercock, reported increased patronage on buses during both rush hours yesterday. The broad received a quantity of fuel yesterday, and has sufficient stocks to keep buses running until Monday evening. Had no diesel been delivered yesterday, the board would have curtailed some week-end services.

The 125 Twizel power project men who were sent home this week because of a shortage of fuel will resume work today, reports the Press Association.