Over the weekend Oula and Alfa fuel stations started closing some of their fuel pumps and operating just one for each lane due to a lack of staff. This started causing long queues at the pump with some people waiting 45 minutes just to have their car filled with fuel. It’s odd that this started happening at both stations at the same time, but they both seem to want the same thing, either to start charging for the service of filling your car up, or turn the stations to self-service ones.
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Oula posted a story yesterday stating that their Al-Omariah station now operates on a self-service system. Their plan it seems is to want to charge 200 fils for people who want fuel filled up by one of their employees which makes sense but, based on the comments on their Instagram, people don’t want to pay and would rather drive to an Alfa station instead. Alfa on the other hand hasn’t posted anything on their account while KNPC posted last night saying that basically nothing will change and nobody is gonna start charging for service.
Personally, I find this whole thing just odd. We all used to fill up fuel ourselves like 20 years ago and it’s a normal thing around the world so I don’t understand why there is so much hoopla around this.
29 replies on “Fill Up Your Own Fuel”
Oula and Alfa have the same ultimate owner (who also owns KBT, Seef Hospital and International Clinic). I don’t want to say anything because I don’t want to pay a KD 5,001 fine. However let’s just say this is all an intentional tactic to get the government to allow them more visas for workers. Nobody will be charged 200 fils because KNPC (which acts as the regulator for private gas stations) has stated it will not allow this.
Meanwhile, those same people who complain, will have no problem pumping their own gas when they travel abroad 🤦🏻♂️
+1
Back in my childhood, i remember seeing just 1 or 2 employees at the gas stations. All of them used to be self-service.
Kuwait: alright, we need to reduce expat population
Also Kuwait: pls we need to issue visas for these menial jobs
It doesn’t work both ways. How about we get our asses up and fill our tank ourselves?
One sec. Ok I will up myself. Where do I pay?
Not sure if you’re new here, but back in the day, as I finished filling the tank, I would take note of the filling machine number and quote that to the guy sitting at the booth at the exit, who would cross check the amount and I pay him or then, to one of the attendants who are present in that aisle or at the pump!
I remember the Abu Halifa shed used to have this.. we tell the get which pump number did we use and the amount and then he takes the money.. All the cars go through this one person and then exit!!
You pay one of the attendants hovering around the pumps
There is no lack of staff, actually they have more than what they need, its a way of saying let us increase our fees or we will cause you a lot of trouble. Boycot them go to KNPC stations.
I’m a lady and been here since 2002. I used to often pump my own gas, as there used to be only a couple guys at each station to pump. I don’t see what the big deal is – put credit/debit card pads on the machine and let us get on with doing it ourselves, and saving the attendants for elderly or disables people.
The fact that people are complaining about getting out for five minutes to fill their own car is hilarious. While the staff there fry themselves in the heat for hours. People all over the world do it themselves! Get over it. Its honestly about time Kuwaitis (because im Kuwaiti myself) do things themselves gradually.
Let’s go back to self service.
Yup, and assistance only for special needs.
This is an ideal use-case for reducing expats. Self-service gas dispensing machines already exist. Insert your card, authorize an amount and fill your tank. Not exactly rocket science.
The government said “No more expats” for years, and then people have to pump their own gas, queues at McDonald’s drive throughs are an hour long, appointments for basic things like taking your cat to a vet are now made weeks in advance. Store staff are being asked to work overtime every single day and can’t take days off, people are quitting left and right and companies are competing for this so much that store staff can make more than an accountant right now.
There is a huge, huge labor shortage in many industries in Kuwait and the government is doing it on purpose
Even WITH attendants, I prefer filling up myself – saves me time and it’s not like you’re standing outside with the pump in your hand all the while for those 2-3 minutes.
Hope we go back to mandatory self service 🫡
Not a big deal, especially with new pumps that you can pay with a card tap.
Lowers the amount of useless foreign labor. Hope the same happens to grocery store bag fillers that stand behind crashers.
If you can pick the grocery items, Im sure you can use the same hand to put them in bags.
It’s funny that people complain that its hot to step out and pump but else where in the world they travel for uni etc and pump at -20*c freezing their butt off lol
I don’t see how pumping your own gas is controversial, but my best guess is: for people who have a thesis that the country is unable to sustain welfare (رفاهية) this is, however petty, in their view evidence that supports that thesis.
When you can’t influence or publicly debate the big things that matter, you try to influence or publicly debate the small things that don’t matter.
Let’s go back to the old days and pump our own gas!! Forget driving to an attendant at a booth or paying hovering attendants. Put Debit/credit card machines on the pumps and let the drivers do it. Yes please keep an attendant or two for the special needs drivers but those pumps should be reserved for them only and yeah I guess considering it’s Kuwait for those ladies as well who would prefer an attendant
the staff filling up your car. their salaries are 60 kd per month with accommodation. 60 kd is like purchasing 1 perfume from Harvey Nichols for Kuwaiti. Those people stay there throughout the day no matter whatever the weather is. self service would help reducing the staff and stop recruiting those poor lads. I guess self service is good approach
60kd even with accommodation is inhumane wtf
It is the truth, most of the labourers are paid 60 to 80 kd + accommodation, Get charged maybe 100 kd for their yearly Residence fees,No insurance, If they fall ill they must pay 2 kd to get basic treatment if it isnt a serious illness, if it is then they are at the mercy of when they get an appointment for that etc.
My opinion on paying 200 fils more is totally ok, Not because i am unable to fill up my own gas tank which i totally do even if the attendants are there, but solely with the intention that these poor lads get a little extra monies. Hence even if it is implemented really hope their companies do not pocket the extra charge for filling.
I wanted to go out and pump my own gas, but they had their pumps closed.
If they really wanted people to self service they would have left all pumps open with the limited workers, people will get out and do it. But when you close the pumps like that ur preventing it, which proves that their real motives isn’t self service, it’s just bringing in more workers
So what’s the issue here. people don’t want to pay the small extra fee? Or they don’t want to fill up their own tank? Or there are too many expats? Or there aren’t enough expats?
Yes
OH NO, self service in kuwait, the end of the world for many…..fat lazy entitled. Most need the exercise to get out of their own car & fill it up.
Oula should make use of their OulaE sticker that is placed on the cars to fast track car fueling and probably have a lane dedicated to OulaE