Fuel Stations in the City Close Early

The various service stations across Belize City made their own individual hurricane preparedness plans when Beryl took aim at this region. Some of those gas stations revised their plans, but most of them decided to go with early closure to give their employees a few hours to batten down and do hurricane shopping, just as a precautionary measure. News Five went about the city and spoke with employees at two of the fuel stations. Marion Ali filed this report.

 

Marion Ali, Reporting

The uncertainty of Beryl’s trajectory earlier this week prompted several fuel stations to shutter down early as a precautionary measure. Even when the hurricane’s path became clear today, most of the stations still stuck to their original plan.

 

The Ekron Service Station at mile one on the Philip Goldson Highway, also known as Puma, closed at two o’clock this afternoon.

 

Marvin Sanabria, Pump Attendant, Ekron (Puma Northern) Service Station

“We are closing at this time because that’s the rules we have to follow and because we don’t know what we expect later. So, that’s why we’re closing early. We put on the shutters because we don’t know what might happen later, you know? I don’t know if they want to come break in. So – but we di open 6 o’clock in the morning, but we also closed early because to be sure that we’re safe home or, you know, everybody’s safe home. And everybody done deh home safe.”

 

Marion Ali

“They’re giving you time to go and take care of –“

 

Marvin Sanabria

“Yeah, giving us time fi mek wi go home and see what else need to get done or get ready for later, so.”

 

Marion Ali

“Okay, but 6am for sure you’ll be here?”

 

 

Marvin Sanabria

“Yes, 6am in the morning.”

 

According to Isaac Logan, the Shell Gas Station at the corner of Central American Boulevard and Cemetery Road pushed back its closing time from midday.

 

Isaac Logan, Pump Attendant, Shell Gas Station

“Wi mi wa close 12 but dehn change it and we are set and seven are closed. Four. Right. The reason why, because due to the weather already left so, and it get weakened. So according to the boss and NEMO that everything is already on a basis. Today we going till 4 because this plan was already set for the workers then, right? So we have to do the process – finish off the process and do what we have to do at home, right, cause we still got the lee weather, you know, lee rain and breeze weh di come to as well, right?”

 

Marion Ali

“So you open what time in the morning?”

 

Isaac Logan

“We are working from six, from six till, till –”

 

Marion Ali

“Usual time?”

 

 

 

Isaac Logan

“Usual time.”

 

The usual time for the convenience store is ten p.m., but the station will resume its twenty-four-hour pump service on Friday.

 

Over at Puma Faber’s Road, at its junction with the George Price Highway, they decided to also close early. When we got there, they were already closed.

 

One station that we found will be open until ten tonight was Uno at the junction of Central American Boulevard and Cemetery Road. Marion Ali for News Five.