Sweden's Service Station Association OSS warns that if the Swedish government does not act now, hundreds of fuel stations will probably disappear next year.
The most vulnerable fuel plants are located in sparsely populated and rural areas and are often the last service point in the locality. If these facilities are forced to close, it will be devastating for residents, other businesses in the catchment area and for tourists.
In addition, it is pure capital destruction to close down otherwise functioning operations. The Government can take three simple measures to prevent the closure of most of these plants:
1. Grant a general exemption for fuel plants that are the only ones in the locality in sparsely populated areas for at least three years. 2. Introduce the possibility to apply for exemptions for individual fuel plants and 3. Introduce the possibility that granted investment grants can be paid directly from the authority to the performing contractor.
The transition to more renewable fuels is a given, but the need for wet fuels will remain for decades. If the last gas station in the sparsely populated area disappears, the basis for a lot of services to residents, visitors and other businesses will also disappear.
The fuel station not only delivers fuel, but also complementary trade, postal and parcel services as well as representation for several other services. It would be more than reasonable for the Government to decide on the possibility of applying for an individual exemption and to enable the decision to pay investment grants directly to the contractors who carry out the upgrade of the fuel equipment.
Original story at 500 filling stations under threat | US (oss.se)
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