High fuel prices rock Lethem

Jun 22, 2011 News

Frustrated motorists parked their vehicles in protest of the high cost of fuel.

– bad road leads to increased acquisition costs

While the flood waters have receded and life is slowly getting back to normal in the Rupununi, the people of Lethem and surrounding communities are faced with a new problem – the rising cost of fuel.
In what is being seen as direct fallout from the recent floods, fuel prices have skyrocketed due to the high cost of bringing it to the fuel pumps at Lethem.
Reports reaching this newspaper are that the main reason for the high transshipment cost is the state of the Linden to Lethem road.
Transporters of fuel have indicated that while the situation of the road was bad as at the beginning of the year, the recent flood has rendered the road almost impassable.
In some areas, trucks transporting the fuel have stopped traversing in as much as 18 miles of slush during their back and forth journey from Lethem.
This has definitely forced them to increase the price they charge to transport fuel, as it now takes operators as much as 17 hours per trip.
It was reported that many truck drivers are reluctant to undertake the trip to transport fuel.
Prior to the flood gasoline was being retailed around $270 per litre. However yesterday it was being sold as high as $400 per litre at a privately owned filing station.
Kaieteur News was told that to cushion the impact, the GuyOil station at Lethem had stabilized its price for gasoline at $300 per litre.
It is hoped that the state-owned fuel company will maintain a steady supply of the precious commodity so as to minimise the suffering that appears imminent.
The sharp hike in fuel prices angered vehicle owners, many of whom parked their vehicles in protest.
And with the fuel price as high as it is presently, the cost of transportation is expected to rise also.
While operators of the main bus service from Lethem to Georgetown declined to comment on the issue, it is widely anticipated that the fare will see a significant increase from the current $10,000 per passenger.