| Syazwani Hj Rosli |
THE sight of long lines of vehicles at filling stations waiting for their turn to fill their tanks, and clogged roads around shopping areas as people flock to the malls and shops to do some last-minute shopping, is a common sight with the approach of Syawal.
Over the past few days this same scene was repeated, with massive queues of vehicles seen choking roads at major commercial areas and filling stations across Brunei.
Md Khairul Azri bin Haji Rosli, a resident of Kampong Sungai Buloh, said that he had waited for almost one hour at a filling station, adding that there will be more frequent fuel refilling at stations during the Raya period as vehicles tend to consume more fuel during the festive month.
Another resident, Yusri bin Haji Tuah, commented that the best time to refuel one’s car is during the wee hours of the day just when filling stations are about to open, or late at night just before the stations close, as the queues will be thinner during those hours.
“Even going early or at night during this period, I still have to wait 10 or 15 minutes to refuel my car. On a normal day, early in the morning, there would only be two or three cars in each line, sometimes none. But now, the average number of vehicles in each line is five to six,” he said.
Heavy traffic in Gadong last night. – PHOTOS: BAHYIAH BAKIR
Motorists make a beeline to buy fuel at the Syarikat Amanah Haji Abdullah filling station
Asked to give suggestions for solutions to this problem, he proposed for filling stations to increase the number of staff manning the petrol pumps to help speed up refuelling and cut down waiting time.
A heavy, crawling vehicular flow was experienced most pronouncedly at the major commercial precincts of Gadong, Serusop and Kiulap.
Pengiran Rahimah binti Pengiran Haji Abdul Rahman, who was seen shopping with her two daughters, told the Sunday Bulletin that she was seeking last-minute promotions from vendors and shops before Raya starts.
“Nobody likes to rush [for shopping] during the week leading up to Hari Raya but it’s better to be late than never, right? Usually this is the best time to look for bargains as shops often offer further discounts and price cuts on top of their Hari Raya promotions. We just need to bite the bullet and brave the crowds,” she said enthusiastically.
Giving some advice for her fellow Bruneians – in particular, government servants, Pengiran Rahimah added, “Though it is important for shoppers to keep up with their Raya checklists, they should manage their expenses wisely during the festive month, especially considering that salaries for employees in the government sector came out much earlier than usual.”
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