‘Bring back petrol-pump attendants’ call

CONSUMERS’ associations, disabled support groups and petrol station owners called for fewer self-service stations.
Unions and the IU political party backed their complaints to Almeria city hall that unmanned filling stations ignore the rights of the public and in particular those of the elderly, the frail or the disabled.
The city council should grant fewer of these licences, said IU spokesman Rafael Esteban.
“We support any public initiative that safeguards the public interest,” agreed Maria Jesus Mata, of the Federacion Almeriense de Personas con Discapacidad (FAAM).
Mata, who is FAAM’s vice-president for institutional relations, said that petrol stations should respect the rights of users and guarantee basic safety conditions.
Unmanned petrol stations also threatened jobs, Rafael Esteban claimed, who said that local town halls should act “with responsibility and sensitivity” when granting new licences. His party believed that each petrol station should have an attendant and would support moves to ensure this.