Russia's Altai tightens fuel rationing with one-refill-per-day rule

Authorities in Russia's Altai Republic have introduced a new rule limiting vehicles to one refuelling every 24 hours as officials seek to ease fuel shortages, reduce queues at petrol stations and prevent speculative buying.

The regional government said the measure replaces the previous system under which daily fuel limits reset at midnight, allowing some motorists to obtain two daily allocations within a short period by refuelling before and after midnight.

Under the new rules, the 24-hour waiting period is calculated individually from the time of each vehicle's last refuelling. Regional Prime Minister Alexander Prokopyev said the change was intended to ensure fuel supplies were distributed more evenly.

"Regulating demand is necessary to ensure supplies for both essential services and the public," Prokopyev said.

Fuel sales restrictions will remain in place until September 1. The toughest limits apply in Gorno-Altaysk and the Mayminsky, Turochaksky, Chemalsky and Choysky districts, where motorists may purchase no more than 30 litres of petrol or 50 litres of diesel per day. In the rest of the republic, the limits are set at 50 litres of petrol and 100 litres of diesel daily.

Drivers are required to present their vehicle registration certificate when purchasing fuel, while filling station operators record registration numbers in a central database to prevent repeat refuelling within the 24-hour period.

The restrictions come as Russia continues to grapple with fuel supply challenges in parts of Siberia during the peak tourist season.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on July 25 that the fuel situation in Siberia, including the Altai Republic, remained difficult and that the federal government was working with regional authorities and energy companies to manage supplies.

Novak added that the government was considering additional fuel deliveries to the Altai Republic, Yakutia, Irkutsk Region, Zabaykalsky Krai and Altai Krai to help stabilise the situation more quickly.

By Aghakazim Guliyev