Cheap petrol at Cnergy station draws long queues, blocking buses from Dunman Road bus stop
A long line of vehicles for cheaper petrol at a Cnergy station has been blocking traffic and preventing buses from stopping at a bus stop along Dunman Road.
As oil prices soar amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the station's 95-octane petrol was still priced at $2.41 per litre on March 16, reported Shin Min Daily News. This was about $1 lower than other petrol companies.
Operated by Union Gas Holdings, Cnergy also offers lower rates for members, private-hire vehicle drivers and taxi drivers.
To prevent queue-cutting, traffic cones have been placed at the entrance of the Cnergy gas station since March 13, reducing the road width from two lanes to just one.
The queue can stretch to more than 15 vehicles, with some Katong residents saying they have difficulty driving in and out of their homes.
Buses were seen stuck behind the line of cars, unable to access the bus stop next to the station. One bus was observed letting its passengers alight a distance away before driving away. The bus stop serves SBS Transit bus services 16, 16M and 33.
A resident, Mr Chen, told Shin Min that honking can now be heard throughout the day, sometimes lasting until 11pm.
He added that buses being unable to pull into the stop has made it difficult for wheelchair users to board and alight, and the situation has also disrupted school buses picking up students in the morning.
Motorists also faced difficulty entering and exiting Carpmael Road, which is located between the petrol station and the bus stop.
Cnergy has two other stations at Old Toh Tuck Road and Queensway.
Union Gas Holdings executive director and CEO Teo Hark Piang said more than half of Cnergy's customers are private-hire drivers, with the station having tens of thousands of members — a figure that has grown by about 10 per cent since the outbreak of the Iran conflict.
The number of taxi drivers refueling at Cynergy has also increased by 30 per cent in the same period.
He added that as Cynergy does not rely heavily on advertising, he believes the surge in customers is likely driven by word-of-mouth recommendations from industry insiders.
"As a Singaporean company, although oil prices are bound to rise to some extent, we try our best to keep them the lowest in the country, helping local drivers while also making a profit through high volume and low margin," said Mr Teo.
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