STEFAN NARINE of Tunapuna,
totes his gasoline filled container.

Three lanes of traffic on a two-way Vistabella
Street ... waiting and waiting.

As a result of the gasoline wait, heavy traffic
jams occur at the Eastern Main Road and
El Dorado Road intersection.

A police officer keeps traffic moving along
the Eastern Main Road, Tunapuna.

Motorists, on foot, line-up for gas at the NP
Tunapuna station.

People jostle to get their containers filled.

TRINIDAD’s motorists awoke last Saturday, to a motoring nightmare.

An overnight -- Friday -- industrial action caused the instant gasoline disruption, by “the non-delivery” of gas due to the inspection of fuel delivery trucks by Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) officials.

The union decided late Friday to do an audit on delivery trucks they suspected of being in disrepair.

OWTU president Errol McLeod told the media they “wanted to ensure that the tankers were road-worthy and decided to conduct an audit”.

Some of the impacted delivery tankers are National Petroleum (NP)-owned, while others, are independently operated.

Inspections were also conducted at the Pointe-a-Pierre refining facility, resulting in the rumours of gas shortages and panic buying, island-wide.

From the southland to the capital city of Port of Spain, gasoline supplies were in extremely short supply and none existence in many instances.

Angry drivers began their gasoline odyssey as early as 6 a.m. that morning.

By 7 a.m., hundreds of gasoline-starved motorists had begun to form miles-long lines for the precious commodity.

Lines clogged the East-West Corridor, from Tacarigua to Curepe.

Reports had the same conditions existing from San Fernando, to Chaguanas and the western peninsula area.

It was reported on a national radio station, that gas-thirsty drivers, were reported to be following an empty gasoline delivery truck in the Cocorite area, late Saturday.

John Reynolds of Curepe had visited five filling stations looking for gasoline when TnT Mirror caught up with him at the NP station in Tunapuna.

A frustrated Arnold Mohammed had travelled all the way from San Fernando with gasoline containers in tow.

Officially, NP advised drivers that there was no shortage of gas.

Nneka Luke, Communications Manager issued a statement stating: “A lot of people are listening to rumours and rushing to gas stations to buy gas.

“We suggest that they should not panic buy, because there is no gas shortage.”

Meanwhile, Energy Minister Dr. Lenny Saith said that the shortages in north, central and south Trinidad were the result of the combination of “delivery problems and panic buying of fuel by vehicle owners”.

Saith assured the public on Saturday that “trucks are delivering and by tomorrow -- Sunday, September 9 -- all stations should have enough gasoline.”

Many drivers had run out of gas.

Motorist from Point Fortin, Moruga and Siparia, found their way to San Fernando, with an assortment of container in hand looking to purchase gasoline.

Others from the south, made their way to central and north Trinidad.

The travelling public also experienced the effects of the gas shortage.

Maxi-taxi drivers abandoned their regular runs to hunt gasoline, leaving many passengers stranded for hours.

Stefan Narine of Tunapuna was seen walking the Eastern Main Road, with a filled gasoline container.

Spotty shortages and long lines still existed on Monday morning.