23/3/2018
PUNE: In a
first, Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) is set to launch a
pilot project to provide doorstep delivery of diesel for its
bulk buyers in Pune. With a single mobile dispenser to start with, the ministry
of petroleum and natural gas plans to gradually provide this service in other
cities as well.
The doorstep delivery service in Pune will start from
April 1. Confirming the launch of the pilot project, a senior official from
IOCL, Pune, said, “The doorstep delivery service will benefit all those
customers of oil companies who have static fuel tanks and cannot come to the
petrol pumps for refuelling. This is an initiative of the ministry and we are
launching the project with one bowser in Pune to understand the technical issues
that can be faced and rectify those before launching it in other cities. The
holding capacity of the bowser is 6,000 litres. The bowser has a licenced
design and has been approved by Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation
(PESO), thus ensuring complete safety.”
Speaking on the matter, spokesperson of All India Petrol
Dealers’ Association (AIPDA), Ali Daruwalla, said, “We welcome the move by the
ministry to start door step delivery of only diesel to its existing big
customers using a PESO-approved bowser fitted with a dispensing pump. The oil
company will provide doorstep delivery to its big customers like Bajaj, Indian
Railway, Sandvik, Finolex, Kalyani and others that do not purchase at retail
rates from petrol pumps. The first trial vehicle is under testing at Indian Oil
terminal at Loni Kalbhor depot in Pune.”
Daruwalla said that the association had initially opposed the
idea of providing doorstep delivery to customers. “The oil company has assured
oil dealers’ association that it would not target existing retail customers who
are at present purchasing from petrol pumps to meet day to day needs,” he said.
Earlier, AIPDA had opposed the move because the bowsers were
planning to sell to small customers who were potential buyers from petrol pumps
and would be stationed anywhere on the street like vegetable vendors. PESO too
had not given clearance to bowsers that would sell diesel on the streets. “The
organisation has given in-principle approval for bulk sale of diesel in these
new modified bowsers,” Daruwalla explained.
He stated that the ministry has decided to launch the service
to provide customer convenience through door-to-door delivery of petroleum
products.
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