Fuel queues: What is happening and what helps?

A psychotherapist not only offers counselling services but also helps people identify stressors and endeavours to help people deal with stressors. Fuel queues are now a contextual source of stress to many citizens- it is now a big stressor for motorist.

Regrettably, others are benefiting from this problem of queues. One of my clients,related to me about his experience. “It is now 10 pm in the evening and I am entering at my gate, tired, hungry and angry.  On this day I had lined for petrol since 5.45 am and the whole day I was in petrol queues. I had gone around four service stations and only managed to get my car fuelled at the forth service station around 9.45pm. In the morning when I first queued for fuel at 5.45 am, my car was number fifty-one in line. At 7.00am when they started filling cars with petrol, I had moved my car to number 9 in line.

Unexpectedly, the fuel attended announced that the fuel was finished. I was really upset and had no option except to look for another service station since my fuel level was very low.

I went to a second service station where my car was number twenty-two in line. After some time of waiting, I was finally at the pump ready to have my car filled. I opened my fuel tank and my wallet to make the payment, with a smile on my face saying at last I am there.

Suddenly, an attended came to my car and said, “The fuel is finished, no more fuel, wabereki”. Ah!!, you can imagine how I felt, distressed. The fuel attended just moved away from my car. I had to close my fuel tank and left the service not knowing what to do now.

But when I was leaving the service, I saw two cars being filled with petrol at the same place where I had been turned away. Anyway, I drove away and while driving I received a call informing me of another service station where they were selling fuel. I rushed there, was number fifteen in the line. When my car was at number four, we were told the fuel was finished. I was devastated, I decided to go home. On my way home, my work-mate directed me to another service station where I finally got the fuel at 9.45pm after having waited there since three pm. The whole day was gone”, so the client said. This is an example of what some people have been going through the past weeks if not months.

You hear some on line asking, “have you seen where the front of the queue is? Do you think by the time I get there, I will get the fuel? These are questions you hear on the fuel lines, some which stretch to over one kilometre. I am sure many of you share similar stories of spending time on petrol queues. What has prompted this article is to share what is happening at the fuel lines and encourage something to be done by authorities to reduce citizen suffering. It is not fun to spend five hours or more in a fuel queue. Furthermore, I noticed that there are corrupt activities going on the fuel queues which need to be addressed. I also noticed absence of law enforcement officers at these service station to maintain sanity. It is sad that law enforcement is not always represented, and some citizens take advantage and engage in unscrupulous activities causing unnecessary hassles. The following is happening at the queues:

1. Some citizens are spending the whole night in fuel queues. In the morning some must go to work and they ask family members to take over and continue with the line.
2. A citizen died while on the fuel queue in Harare which is sad
3. Some citizens do not queue for fuel,they just move in at service stations disregarding those who will have spent hours and hours on line, they jump the line and get their fuel filled.
4. Close to the fuel pump, the touts who disguise as helping to control the fuel lines are in fact allowing some drivers to just sneak in between other cars that have been in the line to get the fuel. I noticed that they pretend to control by blocking the ways to the pump and yet open the way when certain cars arrive. I heard they will have made some plans and get paid for doing that.
5. Many cars are getting fuelled and then have lots of jerry cans inside them which will be filled, and I heard these are now being sold at black market. This is also not good at all. Fires can be caused by this as what happened to a bus that was burnt, and lives were lost.

As a psychotherapist I pondered how this situation is affecting citizens’ well-being, quality of life and productivity. It is not only about getting fuel, but it is about time being spent on the lines, corrupt activities going on at the lines and productivity being negatively affected It is very stressful to spend hours and hours in a fuel queue. Feeling stressed can adversely affect an individual’s behavior (e.g. a stressed person might be short-tempered and have difficulty getting along with others at home or work). I have seen people’s tempers raising at fuel queues, people shouting at each other. In the long term, being exposed to such stressful situations increases the risk of even physical health, mental health conditions and adverse social relationships.

Healthy way forward during fuel queues.

1. Presence of law enforcement will be helpful in maintaining order at fuel queues, police be informed so that we prevent or minimize miseries at service stations
2. That the activities of the touts at the services station be monitored since they have their own agendas of making money instead of helping citizens.
3. That everyone be in the queue to get fuel. Even if there are different queues (e.g. those with coupons, fuel account cards, jerry cans, cash etc.) but that the queues be respected- justice for all is important.
4. That the use of jerry cans when one’s car has been filled be investigated as this is disadvantaging those in queues.
5. Let us all fight and not overlook corruption at the fuel queues. There is no silver bullet for fighting corruption. You and I have a role to play. Do your part.

In conclusion, what is happening at fuel queues has detrimental effects on mental health and quality of life. I know we can do better, if we work together and care for others and if those in authorities help maintain order. I urge that as we approach holiday, let us be sensitive and caring towards each other and hope the law enforcement will positively be present and assist at fuel queues.

 

Mazvita Machinga is a qualified and registered psychotherapist located in Mutare. Call 0777 754 519,0778 83 84 10 , email [email protected] for psychotherapy and mental health support.