Drivers demanded that the authorities of Kabardino-Balkaria take effective measures to solve the queue problem at gas stations.
A driver from Baksana complained on social media that there are long queues at gas stations. Other motorists from Kabardino-Balkaria, commenting on his post, shared similar problems in other areas. They demanded that the authorities take effective measures to solve the queue problem at gas stations.
As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on August 15, there were long queues at some gas stations in Nalchik, while private gas stations had gasoline available, but it was significantly more expensive. Drivers reported cases where cheap fuel was insufficient for everyone at network gas stations.
A driver from Baksana complained on social media about the long queue at the "Rosneft" gas station. According to him, some drivers take their place in line as early as night, but fuel sales only start at 08:00. The author of the complaint suggested starting service at 06:00, as people are late for work due to the wait. He noted that many cannot afford to buy gasoline at significantly higher prices at private gas stations.
The post by the driver from Baksana was published by the Instagram*-public "goloskbr", which has about 191 thousand followers. As of 08:50 MSK on August 19, this post received 622 likes and 246 comments.
Commenters, identifying themselves as drivers from Kabardino-Balkaria, shared their experiences of long queues at gas stations and their inconvenient working hours. "It's good if, after standing in line, you can refuel. From personal experience, I can say that in the Elbrus region, people leave empty-handed after waiting from five in the morning until 08:30. Employees walk through the lines and say not to wait: they will only refuel with fuel cards," wrote marin.na42.
"Today I stood for three hours at Tarchokova, at "Lukoil", and they said: there is no gasoline today," reported alanchos_sabr_haa.
"In addition to opening late, only one or two pumps are working. Why can't all pumps be operational so we don't have to wait so long?" asked 07_ne_vazhno_07.
Commenters compared the situation in Kabardino-Balkaria with neighboring regions and pointed out the higher prices. "This doesn't happen in Ossetia! And prices are much lower than ours!" wrote donna_principessa.
"I was in Vladikavkaz today, there were also queues, but I stood for about ten minutes, and the price is lower than ours," reported user timosha.86.
"This situation only exists in Kabardino-Balkaria. Starting from Pyatigorsk towards Moscow, there are no such issues, prices are normal – 68–72 rubles. There are no queues anywhere. And gas is cheaper," stated ekalyakoff.
Other users demanded that the authorities and regulatory bodies take effective measures. "As Mr. Kokov said, everything is under control <…>. Let him solve the problem," wrote emir15011942.
"When will the FAS and other agencies address this situation?" asked lawyer_in_law_.
"I don't want to stand in line for anything. The government is not solving this problem, Kokov doesn't care what the people will do. But this can't go on like this," stated kogolkin.
As of 08:50 MSK on August 19, there are no comments on the websites of the head and government of Kabardino-Balkaria regarding drivers' complaints about long queues at gas stations.
"Caucasian Knot" also reported that residents of Kabardino-Balkaria periodically complain about high prices, queues, and disruptions at gas stations. For instance, on August 12, social media users doubted the imminent decrease in gasoline prices and pointed out the lower fuel costs in neighboring regions. On July 28, residents of the republic complained that the price of gasoline at some gas stations reaches 135–150 rubles per liter, and demanded increased price control.