Spain: Gas stations ask government to allow closure due to drop in sales

The closure would include some 3,000 sites, more than a quarter of the country's gas station network.

The drop in sales at Spanish stations has reached 90% | © iStock

Major gas station groups in Spain have sent the Government a request to allow many sites to close down during the coronavirus crisis, reports newspaper El Mundo. The operators insist on the difficulty of remaining open with a drop in sales of up to 90% and on the importance of protecting the health of their more than 53,000 workers.

The implementation of the State of Alarm forces gas stations to remain open to guarantee fuel supply except for those sites that have registered a case of coronavirus infection. The turnover of service stations, however, has fallen by 60% in those located on major roads, 75% in urban areas and up to 90% in rural environments, according to data from the fuel retail sector.

The Spanish Government is considering the implementation of a minimum service plan that would let gas stations operate in similar terms to a general strike - guaranteeing minimum services to ensure fuel supply while allowing other sites to close down. Single sites and small networks, which are most vulnerable to the economic impact of such a big drop in sales, would have a priority over large networks such as Cepsa and Repsol.