No demand

The Rostov-on-Don mayor's office has stopped issuing documents for the construction of new gas stations. The city administration believes that too many gas stations have been built in Rostov recently, and most of them are now experiencing a shortage of customers. According to officials, the construction of new gas stations will bring nothing to the city except the ruin of the old ones.

More than 150 gas stations are already operating or are about to be put into operation in Rostov. These are modern, expensive complexes that can quickly refuel a large number of cars. As practice has shown, for a city with a population of just over a million people, even this number of gas stations is more than enough. In some areas, competitors are only 100-200 meters from each other. A number of gas stations even hold lotteries for regular customers or distribute free newspapers and souvenirs.

Gasoline traders themselves are confident that the city hall’s current decision to suspend the construction of new gas stations was lobbied by one of the major players in the local fuel market. Having operating gas stations and having completed the formation of their own network of gas stations in Rostov, they are not at all interested in the emergence of new competitors.

Igor BURAKOV, Rostov-on-Don