Long Island Starts Gas Station Rationing Odd/Even Days

Nassau and Suffolk counties have ordered gas rationing on odd/even days starting early Friday morning as the fuel drought continues into its second week after Hurricane Sandy, officials announced Thursday.

With Long Islanders continuing to flood gas stations seeking much-needed gasoline for their vehicles, officials in both counties decided to create a “fuel management system” to ease the pain at the pumps, with some people waiting several hours just to fill their tanks, Suffolk officials said.

“This temporary fuel policy will ease the challenges residents of the bi-county region are experiencing in the aftermath of the storm,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone.

The policy will take effect Friday at 5 a.m. New Jersey had instituted the same rule several days after Sandy pummeled the Northeast, creating scenes at gas stations not scene since the 1970s gas embargo.

The temporary policy means gas station employees will only be able to sell gas to drivers with odd/even license plate numbers that corresponds with the day of the month.

Here’s how odd / even days works for Long Island:

  • Drivers with license plates ending in an even number can purchase gas on even-numbered days. Those with plates ending in odd numbers can buy fuel only on odd-numbered days.
  • Those with vanity plates will join the group of odd-numbered plates.
  • Out of state vehicles will follow the same rules.
  • Officials said the policy does not apply to commercial vehicles, taxi or limousines or emergency fleets.
  • The policy also does not apply to those purchasing fuel with gas canisters.

 

UPDATED: 11/15/2012 The rationing will be ending this week, Please read here for more details.

5 Comments on “Long Island Starts Gas Station Rationing Odd/Even Days

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  3. This plan is way to late, this should have been done asap.People were only hoarding fuel, and just topping off there tanks everyday,this is what caused the problem to begain with. I don’t know about anyone else but i had to work everyday and could not spend all day waiting on line, so when i got out of work most stations were closed and had on gas.