Kathmandu, October 12

Owners of private vehicles can purchase fuel tomorrow from all the fuel stations of the Kathmandu Valley almost two weeks after the Nepal Oil Corporation barred private vehicles from refuelling to manage supply for bigger public vehicles, government vehicles and vehicles of emergency service providers.

Despite having only limited stock due to continuous obstruction in movement of fuel tankers from India to Nepal, NOC has decided to distribute fuel from its stock to ease the mobility of public, who are planning to go to their hometown to celebrate Dashain.

However, cars running on petrol can’t buy more than 15 litres and motorcycles five litres. However, diesel cars and jeeps will get up to 20 litres each.

Following NOC’s announcement of fuel distribution for private vehicles on Tuesday, vehicle owners already starting queuing up in front of the fuel stations today itself.

According to NOC Spokesperson Deepak Baral, the list of 176 stations that will supply fuel in the Kathmandu Valley, Kavre, Sindhuli and Dolakha has been put up on NOC’s official website, www.nepaloil.com.np, and fuel stations will start distributing fuel around noon.

“NOC’s Thankot depot has started supplying fuel to the fuel stations and almost all fuel stations in the Valley will distribute fuel based on the ceiling set by NOC,” said Baral. Currently, only the government-run fuel pumps have been distributing fuel for the government vehicles and vehicles operated for emergency services. NOC has instructed private stations to distribute all the fuel that they receive from NOC, as per Baral.

As its stock started dwindling after continuous obstruction in the movement of fuel tankers from India to Nepal, NOC barred private vehicles from purchasing fuel on October 1.

According to the Department of Transport Management, there are around 600,000 motorcycles and 120,000 private cars operational in the Valley.

Meanwhile, NOC’s sole supplier Indian Oil Corporation has assured it of supplying petroleum products from Barauni instead of Raxaul, as they IOC has failed to dispatch fuel tankers from the Raxaul depot due to protests on Birgunj-Raxaul border.

The flow of fuel tankers entering Nepal from India through various check points, except Birgunj, has increased, according to the customs chiefs of different customs points.