The decision to close the gas stations was made by a committee consisting of representatives of the Khulais municipality, the police, the Transport Department and the Health Affairs Department in Makkah province.
The conditions the stations were asked to observe included: asphalting their grounds, expansion of entries and provision of safety measures in each station. Travelers going to Madinah have faced difficult times in having their cars filled with petrol.
Owners of the gas stations were exasperated by the surprise decision which caused them huge financial losses.
“The stations were closed down without any prior notice,” said Saleh Mashhour, a gas station owner. He said the sudden decision caused him immense problems, including financial losses.
Mashhour said the Khulais municipality should have safeguarded their interests and should have given them time to correct the problems before taking the surprise decision of closing down the stations.
