Tema, Dec.22, GNA - Management of Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) on Wednesday said it had not changed its normal supply of fuel products to the Oil Marketing Companies and assured the public of continuous supply. It has therefore, expressed surprised at the shortage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in the system compelling consumers to queue for the product at Gas Filling Stations in some parts of the country including Tema.

Mrs Aba Lokko, Public Affairs Manager of TOR told the GNA in an interview at Tema, that noticing increase in demand for the product, TOR had rather increased the daily supply of LPG from 300 metric tonnes to 500 metric tonnes.

She blamed the shortage on the rush by commercial drivers who had now shifted from the use of petrol to LPG putting pressure on the system because they found it cheaper and took longer time to finish. Mrs Lokko noted that the price of LPG had not been reduced and the LPG was originally meant for domestic use as a measure to reduce environmental pollution and degradation as well as reduction in the use of fuel wood and to save deforestation but the situation was gradually being taken over by commercial drivers.

She therefore, suggested that a measure be instituted to adjust the price of LPG for commercial drivers different from domestic consumers.

Mrs Lokko said under the measure Gas Filling Stations would have two different prices for commercial vehicles and domestic use. Incidentally, a taxi driver whose vehicle a journalist boarded from TOR to her office told passengers that he was rushing to fill his tank with LPG.

This prompted the journalist to probe into it and he said "madam it is good oh, it is cheaper than petrol because it takes about two days to finish unlike petrol."