Inspection reveals breaches at compressed gas and petrol filling stations
27.03.2018,
17:23
An inspection of a number of compressed natural gas stations across Armenia in 2017 revealed that all had problems, Levon Khalikyan, a senior official of the Armenian Ministry of Economic Development and Investments in charge of market supervision, said at a press conference on Tuesday.
YEREVAN, March 27. /ARKA/. An inspection of a number of compressed natural gas stations across Armenia in 2017 revealed that all had problems, Levon Khalikyan, a senior official of the Armenian Ministry of Economic Development and Investments in charge of market supervision, said at a press conference on Tuesday.
He said the breaches involved filling of vehicles under high pressure Another problem is that no one knows what kind of cylinders are installed in cars. In recent six years 531 incidents involving explosions of gas cylinders were reported, killing 19 people and injuring another 62, he recalled.
According to some estimates, over 70% of vehicles in Armenia, including virtually all public transport, use compressed natural gas instead of petroleum.
He recalled that the government has drawn a package of legislative amendments designed to solve the problems arising from the operations of compressed natural gas filling stations and gas cylinders and a procedure for conducting technical inspections of motor vehicles. The package suggests licensing the installation of gas tanks on motor vehicles operating on compressed natural, liquefied petroleum gas and the testing of cylinders pressure. This will first and foremost raise the level of citizens’ security, according to the government.
Khalikyan also said the package provides for an increase in the size of penalty for violation of the procedures. More precisely, it will be raised from a hundred minimal wages to a thousand wages. In 2017, 23.08 million drams worth penalties had been imposed on compressed gas stations, he said, adding that there are problems at the petrol filling stations as well. For example, some sell Regular gasoline as Premium or Super, and there is also the underfilling problem.
According to him, these petrol stations were ordered to suspend operation until all breaches were eliminated. -0-
He said the breaches involved filling of vehicles under high pressure Another problem is that no one knows what kind of cylinders are installed in cars. In recent six years 531 incidents involving explosions of gas cylinders were reported, killing 19 people and injuring another 62, he recalled.
According to some estimates, over 70% of vehicles in Armenia, including virtually all public transport, use compressed natural gas instead of petroleum.
He recalled that the government has drawn a package of legislative amendments designed to solve the problems arising from the operations of compressed natural gas filling stations and gas cylinders and a procedure for conducting technical inspections of motor vehicles. The package suggests licensing the installation of gas tanks on motor vehicles operating on compressed natural, liquefied petroleum gas and the testing of cylinders pressure. This will first and foremost raise the level of citizens’ security, according to the government.
Khalikyan also said the package provides for an increase in the size of penalty for violation of the procedures. More precisely, it will be raised from a hundred minimal wages to a thousand wages. In 2017, 23.08 million drams worth penalties had been imposed on compressed gas stations, he said, adding that there are problems at the petrol filling stations as well. For example, some sell Regular gasoline as Premium or Super, and there is also the underfilling problem.
According to him, these petrol stations were ordered to suspend operation until all breaches were eliminated. -0-
