Self-service petrol: a third of drivers opt to pump their own rather than pay an attendant in trial

Adnoc Distribution's new free self-service system is being rolled out. A planned fee for a premium service - including an attendant to fill it for you - is being waived for now

Emirati woman chooses Self Service option at ADNOC service stations. Courtesy Adnoc Distribution
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A third of drivers opted to pump their own petrol during a trial in Abu Dhabi that is being run ahead of paid-for fill-ups being brought in.

Adnoc Distribution said 157,000 motorists passed through 40 of its petrol stations since Wednesday 18 April.

Of those, 69 per cent of customers chose the soon to be paid-for premium service - to have their tank filled by an attendant - and 31 per cent choose to fill their own for free.

The fee for the attendant service has so far been waived.

A survey by The National this month found about 80 per cent said they would rather fill their own than pay an attendant.

Adnoc Distribution has yet to set out the premium service fee. In its IPO prospectus in December, it estimated it would be Dh5-10.

The company said the paid-for premium option comes with other promotional products and discounts on services.

Acting CEO Saeed Mubarak Al Rashdi said: “The early results of the Adnoc Flex free trial period are encouraging and clearly show that customers, while still familiarising themselves with the new fueling options, like the greater choice of fuel services that Adnoc Distribution is offering. Staffing levels have been increased at Adnoc Flex stations and our attendants have been assisting customers to understand and choose the service that best suits them.”

Nasser Al Hammadi, chief retail officer, said the rollout would be gradual and that attendants would be on hand to help drivers.

He said: “I’m pleased that our customers appear to be embracing the new fuel options as part of Adnoc Flex. It’s still early days, and we will be rolling Adnoc Flex out to many more stations over the coming months, but the results to date are certainly encouraging. Over the coming days and weeks, our attendants will continue helping customers so they can make an informed decision about which service suits them best.”

As part of the changes, a new service called MyStation is being piloted, which provides customers with the choice of having LPG cylinders or fuel delivered to their home or vehicle.

The company trialled a self-service only system in 2016 before settling on the latest plan announced earlier this month.

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