Looking for a Solution for Fuel Lines

Looking for a Solution for Fuel Lines
Fecha de publicación: 
5 June 2023
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For several weeks now, Cuba has been facing difficulties in the supply of essential fuels for the proper development of society, and this has been the case for both the state and private sectors. We have all been harmed directly or not, and this situation of scarcity seriously deteriorates the country's development and quality of life, since not only the movement of vehicles depends to a large extent on these resources, but also the maintenance of fundamental services such as electricity.

That’s why, let’s remember, that in order to limit the effects and not interrupting electricity generation, as well as to avoid crowds and other nuisances, it was decided to organize access to the little fuel that can be offered. In the first place, a precise number of service centers and liters per vehicle was arranged, so that each driver had one or several assigned to supply himself, according to the category of his car and the corporate purpose of his license, that is, the gasoline and diesel, the private ones on one hand, and the state vehicles on the other, and so on according to each condition.

Then the problem was the huge lines that lasted whole days and sometimes longer, in addition to the opportunism of people who began to profit from the difficulty, followed by disorder and social discontent. So, to counteract it, ideas arose that range from handmade lists, WhatsApp and Telegram groups, as well as the use of applications such as Ticket, the online reservation system. However, all these initiatives are perfectible.

Mi Turno is an alternative platform, not yet official, specially designed to help everyone, both organizers and interested people. “It’s a proposal that makes it possible to order the lines, to know when it’s each person's turn. It’s a tool focused on providing information to the people, in a transparent way, about the amount of fuel in each station” —says Leonardo Texidó Quintana, a young computer engineer.

"The mechanism I propose involves the same officials arranged by the government to help in the task, they would continue to be in charge of specifying all the data." It’s a simple method, designed to also make it easier for people and make it more flexible to manage supplies, without crowds, from the tranquility of your home, through your mobile phone, computer or tablet.

According to its creator, “it’s enough to access Mi Turno website from the browser where, the first time, you must provide basic information to register such as identity card number, name, telephone number, email address, and password. Once registered, you go to a very simple menu where the only option is Add a Car, and there you must specify the license plate and the type of fuel you use”.

Subsequently, the user will be able to request an appointment by providing the vehicle license plate, he will choose the service center where he can fill up, and finally the system will assign him a unique number and he will remain on the waiting list until the time comes to go to the site to fuel up.

With a few very basic steps, drivers can avoid long lines to sign up for lists and, in addition, they will be able, from Mi Turno, to have clear information about the amount of fuel that arrives at each service center, the amount that remains as it’s supplied, as well as their place in the line. In the same way, it establishes how often each person can take a turn according to the place and the demand, so that it favors a better distribution of the resource. It’s a tool that cannot be altered, it avoids agglomerations and speculation.

The platform is still in the testing phase and has a group on Telegram where brainstorming is done every day to improve it while the corresponding entities evaluate its implementation. Access is completely free, and its creator, Texidó, says that it was done without profit, and his motivations were solely to collaborate to solve the need for an initiative that really works, that is easy and shows confidence, "especially since in the midst of a crisis alternatives that are as transparent as possible must be sought."

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSí Translation Staff

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