Previously, we used to get milk and newspapers at our doorstep. As the days passed on we came to a revolution and the e-commerce firms gave us the option of getting any product from mobile and laptops to clothes and accessories delivered at our homes.

And now, waiting in long queues at fuel stations might soon become a thing of the past if a new proposal made by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas becomes a reality.

Yes, you read it right! The oil ministry is planning to deliver petrol and diesel on your doorstep if they make a pre-booking to cut long queues at fuel stations, the oil ministry tweeted on Friday

“Options being explored where petro products may be door delivered to consumers on pre booking” @dpradhanbjp (1/2)

— Petroleum Ministry (@PetroleumMin) April 21, 2017

“This would help consumers avoid spending excessive time and long queues at fuel stations” @dpradhanbjp (2/2)

— Petroleum Ministry (@PetroleumMin) April 21, 2017

Speaking about the same, Dharmendra Pradhan, the oil minister, told TOI,    

“The world over focus is on delivering consumer convenience. We are bringing petrol and diesel on e-commerce portal. Suppose you leave for work at 9 am. So you go to the portal, book your delivery, make online payment and say that you want the fuel delivered at 8 am the next day. It will be done before you leave home.”

The oil ministry is planning for “mini petrol pumps” on the wheels which will provide fuel to the public at their convenience! The oil minister added,

“SUVs nowadays have fuel tank capacity of 70-80 litres. Think of a small tanker with a capacity to refuel 4-5 such SUVs visiting your (housing) society. It will be a great doorstep convenience.”

When he was questioned about the safety of these mini petrol pumps running on roads, he said that it would be examined by the sectoral safety regulator, Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation. He further said,

“After all, aren’t big cars and SUVs moving on roads with large fuel tanks? Aren’t big tankers moving on the road? All of them are certified. So will be these small tanker-dispensers.”

The announcement regarding this scheme was made at the Parliament’s consultative committee meeting which was held on Friday in Srinagar. Earlier also, the oil ministry introduced some consumer-friendly steps in the last three years, such as booking of refill orders and payments of LPG in a digital manner.

It will not only improve customer satisfaction but also create job opportunities in the retail market. This step will be very helpful for the rural areas where people have to travel a long distance to reach a petrol pump which is mostly on the highways. It will also make a dent in the monopoly of petrol pump dealers.

Additionally, the oil minister talked about the effect of demonetization on petrol pumps, as he said that cashless transactions have increased to Rs. 400 crore daily from Rs. 150 crores daily, which is almost three times, after demonetization. He also talked about the three strategies implemented by the oil ministry to achieve such growth in cashless transactions. Firstly, they worked on expanding the infrastructure of digital payments at petrol pumps, then they provided incentives for cashless transactions and also launched awareness campaigns to make public aware of the digital mode of payments and train them. He has added that till now, the ministry has carried out more than 35,000 awareness campaigns in the country in many regional languages.

What is your take on this new step of delivering fuel at home? Let us know your views in the comments section below.

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