After Latakia and Tarus | Fuel hardship paralyzes public transportation in Damascus

As the fuel crisis in regime-held areas throughout Syria has reached critical levels, SOHR activists have monitored an alarming subsidence of traffic in the street of Damascus, along with the acute fuel shortage and long queues of vehicles in front of petrol stations. This development is attributed to the decision of the “fuel committee” in Damascus of reducing the quantities of filling gasoline for private and public tourist cars (taxis) by 50 %. Accordingly, the quota for private cars to be filled is 20 liters every 7 days, down from 40 liters, while public cars and vehicles working between Lebanon and Jordon are allowed to be filled every 4 days. Besides, the gasoline supply supposed to be allocated to minibuses on Fridays will be stopped until further notice, as the buses of the “public authority of inland transportation” will be relied on.

 

The reasons behind the deterioration of fuel crisis in all areas under the control of regime forces across Syria can be also attributed to the reduction of daily fuel allocations provided by regime government to the petrol stations in regime-held areas.

 

Yesterday, SOHR sources reported that the deteriorating fuel crisis in areas under the control of regime forces throughout Syria resulted in suspension of transportation almost completely in the streets of Tartus and Latakia provinces due to the acute petrol shortage. Meanwhile, cars and vehicles were awaiting in long queues for nearly 12 consecutive hours.

 

It is worth noting that the cities of Syrian coastline have been struggling with critical petrol shortage since the beginning of last week, as long lines of vehicles, reached a few kilometres long, were seen awaiting in front of petrol stations. In this context, SOHR activists have monitored stifling congestion in front of petrol stations in Tartus and Latakia provinces.

 

On Saturday, SOHR activists monitored long lines of cars and people and considerable congestion before fuel stations throughout Syria, as fuel crisis in regime-held areas was deteriorating, where people had to stay for long hours in order to get their allocations of fuel, along with ongoing poor transportation services. Moreover, considerable congestion were seen in front of bread bakeries due to the acute bread shortage at a time when regime-held areas were experiencing astronomically inflated prices. All these chronic crises sparked popular anger among the people in regime-held areas.

 

Furthermore, the Executive Bureau of Oil Department in regime-held areas reduced daily allocations of petrol and gasoline provided to petrol stations throughout Syria.