Looking to make the best deal out of the current situation and preserving the Dominican talent for circumventing restrictions, dozens of “informal” gas stations opened up over the weekend. Many of these informal businesses were selling gasoline to the “motoconchistas” that service the local neighborhoods, and others were selling to motorists who could not get gasoline before Saturday’s twelve-noon deadline. At the entrance to Los Alcarrizos, one young man serviced the needs of the motorcycle taxis for well above the normal price. Jose Antonio, who operates a tiny gasoline stand at the entrance to the Los Alcarrizos sector, told Diario Libre reporters that by 11:00 a.m. he had “made his day.” He told reporter Yvonny Alcantara that he usually bought 12 or 13 gallons for his motorcycle clients, but this last Saturday he bought 80 gallons, because he knew that a lot of people would be needing fuel. And he was right. In a look-see carried out by the Diario Libre staff, dozens of sites selling gasoline were found all over the city. Prices were usually in the RD$130-RD$140 range. Fire chief Guillermo Garcia warned of the dangers of storing gasoline in inadequate containers. He emphasized the need to be extremely careful when storing fuel in the home. The Fire Department will begin a national ad campaign today warning of these dangers.
Premium gasoline was down RD$14.70 (RD$124.10 the gallon) this week, regular gasoline was down RD$12.70 (to RD$114.90 the gallon) and diesel declined RD$5 (to RD$87.30 the gallon).