It’s Gas Rationing in NYC for the Foreseeable Future

Posted on Nov 9, 2012

AP/Richard Drew

Cars line up waiting for gasoline in New York on Friday.

To deal with fuel shortages in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has decreed that car owners in New York City will be allowed to buy gas only every other day, starting at 6 a.m. on Friday.

The storm prevented large fuel-bearing tankers from dropping their cargo in New York harbor. Stations subsequently ran dry, and long lines of cars and people holding gas canisters snaked down blocks in virtually every neighborhood in the city. On Thursday, Bloomberg said only a quarter of the city’s gas stations were open.

The mayor asked motorists not to be “cute” by switching plates. He did not say when the rationing or the increased police presence at stations throughout the city would end.

—Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.

The Guardian:

“This is designed to let everybody have a fair chance, so the lines aren’t too oppressive and so everybody can get through this,” Bloomberg told a press conference ... on Thursday.

Owners of vehicles with a license plate ending in an even number will be allowed to buy fuel on even-numbered dates, with the opposite applying for license plates ending in an odd number.

New Jersey governor Chris Christie introduced the same measure in the Garden State on Saturday. The governor said on Thursday he would re-evaluate the scheme before the weekend.

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