Financial Times - Automated fuel pumps for Lanka

Sri Lanka has begun setting up automated fuel pumping stations linked to computers with payment by credit card, industry officials said last week.

Laugfs Petroleum Pvt Ltd, a local company that owns eight fuel stations, on Monday upgraded one its stations at Maharagama to an automated one with credit card swiping machines, computer-linked pumps and fuel tanks. There are more than 500 fuel sheds in Sri Lanka mostly owned by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and Lanka India Oil Company (LIOC).

LIOC last week began distributing fuel to sheds outside the Western province including Colombo, after a near 3-4 week shutdown at its sheds.

LIOC supplies ran out after a dispute with the government over delayed subsidy payments which have now been sorted out. LIOC officials said another fuel shipment was due shortly for distribution in the western province.

Shamal Boteju, General Manager at Laugfs Petroleum Pvt Ltd, said they plan to automate all their remaining seven sheds at a cost of around Rs 2 million per shed in the next eight months. “Automation ensures a leap in our efficiency levels and provides self service to customers. A supervisor monitors the pumps through a computer from the office and can shut it at any time. The fuel tank is also connected to a computer and the available quantities could be checked at any time instead of the old system of using a dipstick to manually check the quantity,” he said. The automated pump was developed by Ajit de Silva, an IT specialist with his own company, and was launched some months back as a pilot project at a fuel station at Tissamaharama in the south. The shed is owned by the De Silva family. “It worked well and we have 3-wheel trishaw drivers pumping their own fuel,” De Silva said adding that a second station at Balangoda was installed with automated pumps. Sri Lanka so far has only three fuel stations that are automated.

De Silva said the idea of developing an automated system arose after he was confronted with running the family fuel station at Tissamaharama. “We had to have a perfect management system and avoid corruption,” he said adding that he and his team at Acal Systems Pvt Ltd created the concept and design. “It is an indigenous Sri Lankan product.”

For example, in fuel stations overseas motorists pump the fuel by themselves and then make payment whereas in Sri Lanka it is the other way around – pay first (credit card) and then pump the fuel – to avoid situations where motorists will drive off without paying. The system also provides a computer-generated bill if a motorist requires.