People buying gasoline in Hanoi are experiencing a new way to purchase fuel – self-service – at some gas stations in the capital city.

From December 1st, customers buying gasoline at two gas stations, No. 1 Tran Quang Khai (Hoan Kiem - Hanoi) and No. 71 Xuan Thuy (Cau Giay - Hanoi), belonging to Petrolimex Hanoi (Regional Petroleum Company I), can choose to buy gasoline themselves in addition to the traditional method of having gas station staff fill the tank for them.

Speaking with a reporter from Infonet online newspaper on the afternoon of December 3rd, Mr. Tran Ngoc Nam – Deputy General Director of Vietnam Petroleum Corporation (Petrolimex) – said that the self-service gasoline sales model is a proposal from Petrolimex Hanoi, a subsidiary of Petrolimex. Based on research into the business area and the consumption needs of the people, Petrolimex Hanoi proposed to the corporation to pilot the self-service gasoline sales model at some gas stations under its management.

Gas station attendants will instruct customers on how to pump gasoline into their tanks themselves. Photo: Xuan Phu

Currently, Petrolimex Hanoi is piloting this sales model at only two gas stations: No. 1 Tran Quang Khai (Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi) and No. 71 Xuan Thuy (Cau Giay District, Hanoi).

“The self-service gasoline system allows customers to directly pump gasoline, directly manage and monitor the amount of gasoline pumped into their vehicle's fuel tank. In the initial pilot phase, gas station staff may assist customers with some of the operations. This system also helps prevent fraud such as tampering with the meter when pumping gasoline, which has been the subject of numerous reported cases in the past,” explained Mr. Tran Ngoc Nam.

According to the Deputy General Director of Petrolimex, the "self-service gasoline sales" model has actually been implemented in many countries around the world for a long time, including the United States. However, due to the circumstances and consumer preferences in Vietnam, it has only now been possible to pilot this sales model.

Both pilot self-service gas stations have detailed instructions for customers on how to buy and pump gasoline. Photo: Xuan Phu

Because this is the initial phase of piloting the new sales model, the self-service gasoline system is currently only being applied to car drivers and not yet to motorbike riders.

Explaining the "narrowing" of the target group for this fuel sales method, a Petrolimex leader explained that the initial plan included motorcyclists, but after calculations, it was found that the number of motorcyclists in Hanoi is very large. Each purchase is usually 3-4 liters, or even less, and if the pumping process is not quick, it can lead to congestion at gas stations, and then traffic jams, especially during peak hours.

"We would also like to roll out this to motorcyclists, but we'll probably have to wait a little longer, after this pilot phase is concluded," he said.

The challenge in implementing a self-service gas station model lies in first considering the tastes and needs of customers in the area. Furthermore, this model can only be implemented at gas stations with large premises, where separate refueling stations for cars and motorcycles can be arranged to avoid congestion.

"Not every gas station that wants to implement this sales model will be considered for permission, because if the station has limited space, it could affect other customers. Therefore, the station must meet certain area requirements to be allowed to apply this model," Mr. Nam added.

In the long term, the Deputy General Director of Petrolimex revealed that the corporation will both implement and evaluate this sales model, and then compile a summary report to consider, based on consumer preferences and convenience, whether to expand the application of this new sales model to suitable store locations.

"The convenience of the self-service gasoline purchasing model is quite evident at first glance; the transaction volume and revenue of the pilot stores using this sales model remain stable within the overall revenue," Mr. Nam assessed.

According to Infonet