Dispensing fuel from Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (Ceypetco) filling stations according to the last digit of the vehicle number plate begins today (July 21), the Ministry of Power & Energy says.

Thereby, fuel distribution based on the last digit of the vehicle number plate will be as follows, until the 25th of July:

• Number plates ending with 0, 1, 2 - Tuesday & Saturday 
• Number plates ending with 3, 4, 5 - Thursday & Sunday 
• Number plates ending with 6, 7, 8, 9 - Monday, Wednesday & Friday

For the time being, Ceypetco filling stations will only pump fuel worth Rs. 1,500 for motorcycles at a single time. For three-wheelers, the limit has been set at Rs. 2,000 worth of fuel.

The maximum amount of fuel allowed to be dispensed to other vehicles meanwhile stands at Rs. 7,000.

In the meantime, the National Fuel Pass system will be tested at selected filling stations in Colombo from today, as a three-day pilot project.

Accordingly, the pilot project is introduced and tested at the following filling stations today:

• RNDA Seneviratne – Colombo 04
• CF De Mel & Sons (Pvt) Ltd – Colombo 02
• Nirosha Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd – Colombo 07
• Shakthi Lanka Oil and Gas (Pvt) Ltd – Kothalawala, Kaduwela
• Nandana Gamage – Madiwela
• Marine Fuel Centre – Marine Drive, Colombo 04

The National Fuel Pass is expected to be implemented systematically at other filling stations in the coming days.

According to the ministry, at least 3 million registrations have been recorded since the National Fuel Pass system was announced last Saturday.

Meanwhile, the petroleum distributors’ association says issues are expected to arise when pumping fuel to vehicles based on the last digit of the number plate.

Although, Ceypetco filling stations resume fuel dispensing from today, the Ceylon Petroleum Private Tanker Owners’ Association stressed that their members have not been summoned for the distribution process.

The co-secretary of the association Shantha Silva said this can disrupt the fuel distribution process.

Meanwhile, the Progressive workers’ Union of Commerce and Industrial Services said fuel volumes will be distributed from the terminals in Kolonnawa and Muthurajawela on priority basis from today.