Gas stations in Makeni city and its environs have all halted sales of petrol since Sunday night letting Black marketers of the product take charge of selling the widely needed community which is now only available for sale in black marketers’ stalls at high costs.

However, engine users have been forced to queue at black marketers’ selling points in search of gas with the dealers now selling a liter of petrol between the costs of 25-35 Leones.

This situation has led to a massive hike in the prices of commodities and a sharp increase in the cost of internal transportation in the north-eastern region city and its environs.

In the middle of the petrol scarcity, some gas station owners and pump attendants told the media on Monday that there is no stock available at the Freetown terminal where they usually buy the product at wholesale cost for onward retailing. Others say there is a possible increment to be made on the retail pump prices of fuel but have not opened up on the expected date and possible cost at which the product will be sold when such increment will come into effect. (madisonavenuemalls.com/)

But some commercial motorbike riders said, “the gas station owners are hiding the fuel to create artificial scarcity of the product which is being sold elsewhere nationwide. They are the ones selling petrol to black marketers just to rob us in broad daylight, but we’ve no option since our duty bearers in the city have all preferred to pretend as if everything is going on fine in the city”.

Saidu “Okankay” Koroma, one of the most popular commercial motorbike riders in Makeni city said, “As riders, we’ve even been told that petrol pump price will be increased to 25 Leones soon if that be the case I pity our customers because we will be asking them to pay more when they hire our transportation services to be able to keep our job alive”.

Other sources have opined that the world price for fuel has dropped so the price locally must be reduced and that dealers do not want to buy at the high price and then be forced to sell at a low price which will mean losses to them.

Meanwhile, the Petroleum Regulatory Authority (PRA) has preferred to remain silent to comment on the situation ongoing in the Northeastern city of Makeni which is now becoming famous for petrol scarcity.