Following investigations, three fuel stations in North Batinah were found guilty of tampering with fuel dispensing machines last month. This was followed by a fuel station in Dhahirah being caught violating consumers’ rights. Are these one-off cases or is this a rampant practice? Here is what Muscat Daily readers had to say.

Abdullah al Naamani
Banking sector employee

Fuel meter tampering at gas stations is a very common occurrence. So you must exercise extreme caution when filling fuel. My method of choosing a gas station is based on my knowledge of how much fuel my car uses. I record the performance of my car after filling up at a specific pump in a logbook that I keep for this purpose. I also watch out for any complaints about and praise for any particular gas station.

Sabry Abdullah al Musallami
Accountant

With tampering of dispensing machines, customers receive less gasoline than what they pay for, and many people have complained about inaccurate meters.

Hanaa al Tauqi
Athlete

I believe this is a rampant practice. There are plenty of ways by which petrol pump workers can cheat, including adulterating the product, tampering with dispenser to give you less quantity, and not showing the customer the zero reading before filling.

Melroy Fernandes
Student

I believe it’s an ongoing practice and it’s about time the people involved in this crime get the taste of the law. The fact that some of the foreign nationals implicated in tampering are being deported, in my opinion, is a sign of good things to come.

Mohammed al Balushi
Government sector employee

By blending gasoline, they are able to make more money. If you commute frequently, you’ve probably noticed that fuel from specific gas stations offer higher mileage. Typically, they combine gasoline with kerosene, which can also seriously damage the engine.

Alicia Dsouza
Private sector employee

It is just wicked that some commit the crime of tampering meters and other devices. At gas stations, there will be somewhat less fuel dispensed than the meter reading. This is similar to how some meter taxi drivers show more money for the distance travelled in meter readings to customers.

Mohan Anandan
Banking sector employee

These incidents of tampering with fuel dispensing meters are indeed a matter of grave concern to consumers. For now, they feel cheated and taken for a ride. What is required is close monitoring and inspection by the authorities concerned to ensure that such malpractices do not become endemic and thus win back the trust of customers.

Nikhil Premkumar
Student

To determine the quantity and quality of fuel that is supplied, several oil companies give the option to request a measuring jar and blotting paper. Please feel free to ask the attendant at the fuel station for a measuring jar so you can verify the precise amount that is flowing out of the nozzle. Some gas bunks have a clever switch on the side that can be set to either true or false reading.