PROBLEMS PLAGUE FIRST SOVIET ONE-STOP SERVICE STATION

The Moscow press reports a number of problems developed soon after a joint enterprise of ltaly's Agip Petroli Spa and the Soviet firm Rosnefteprodukt opened the U.S.S.R.'s first modern one-stop service station on the Moscow-Leningrad highway near the Russian capital (OGJ, June 3, p. 23). Russian drivers are used to paying in advance for all retail purchases, including gasoline. But at the new service station, payment is made after filling their vehicles' tanks.

June 24, 1991

2 min read

Russian drivers are used to paying in advance for all retail purchases, including gasoline. But at the new service station, payment is made after filling their vehicles' tanks.

The newspaper Izvestia explained, "As soon as the nozzle is withdrawn from a vehicle's gasoline tank in order to put 'excess'fuel into a can, barrel, glass jug, rubber bag, or other container, the computer automatically stops the gasoline flow. A sign lights up telling the car owner to come to the cashier and get a refund.

"A notice is posted prohibiting filling containers with gasoline, but the drivers ignored it, figuring they can beat the system and get free fuel.

"On the very first day the station was open, every second driver left the service station without paying, although his vehicle's tank had been filled. Also, on opening day, all 10 of the nice little pumps for free tire inflation were broken. Nine of 10 small plastic sand buckets provided for emergency use in case of fire and several fire extinguishers were stolen."

Izvestia said the service station quickly changed to a pay-in--advance system and replaced the small individual tire pumps with one large pump firmly fixed in place.

The paper reported that Italian personnel at the new Nefto Agip service station remained optimistic that the facility will be a suc-cess and the thievery will stop when kinks in the operation are eliminated.

Improvements may include attaching new fire extinguishers to a chain, Izvestia said.