Glitches persist in QR Fuel Pass System as motorists report registration problems

The introduction of fuel quotas did not stop long queues from forming at filling stations - Pic by Sameera Wijesinghe

Motorists have reported continued difficulties with the National Fuel Pass system after the Government reintroduced fuel distribution through QR code scanning, with long queues also observed at several filling stations.

Users said they were unable to register for the National Fuel Pass when attempting to use a new mobile number instead of the one previously used during the 2022 fuel crisis.

Some motorists also complained that they could not complete registration because their recently purchased used vehicles appeared in the system as “already registered.”

Attempts by the Government to address the registration issues have also faced setbacks, with motorists reporting that they were unable to connect to the hotline 1919 or the contact number provided by the Energy Ministry.

Several users said they encountered websites resembling the official National Fuel Pass portal, raising concerns about possible fake platforms attempting to collect personal information.

Others reported receiving system messages stating that the registration service was temporarily unavailable.

Motorists further noted that in some cases previous vehicle registrations remained in the system. Some users said their National Identity Card (NIC) numbers were still linked to old diesel vehicles, preventing them from registering a newly acquired petrol vehicle or accessing updated fuel pass details.  One motor car owner tried to register his vehicle and got the quota for a three-wheeler which he never owned at any point. 

Fuel shipment arrives as CPC warns against fake QR scams

A ship carrying 35,000 metric tonnes of fuel arrived in Sri Lanka yesterday (16), and arrangements were made to begin unloading the consignment on the same day, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation Managing Director Mayura Netthikumara said.

The CPC MD said the consignment includes 18,000 metric tonnes of diesel, 17,000 metric tonnes of petrol and 3,000 metric tonnes of super diesel.

He noted that vessels previously ordered are continuing to arrive in the country as scheduled, and that distribution has been organised based on orders placed by filling stations.

He added that 616 orders had been received for CPC, while 204 orders were placed by Lanka IOC and 247 by Sinopec, with fuel distribution arranged accordingly.

Netthikumarage also said that following discussions held yesterday, arrangements had been made to supply fuel from depots to passenger buses, with fuel bowsers dispatched to depots early this morning.

Meanwhile, he urged the public not to provide personal information to any websites or individuals other than the official Government platform. He warned that some parties are attempting to collect information through fake accounts linked to the fuel QR system.

Netthikumarage said fraudulent groups have already been reported to be gathering such data and generating fake QR codes, which could result in genuine users losing the opportunity to obtain valid QR codes.

Oil climbs above $ 104

Global oil prices continued to rise yesterday  as the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted energy shipments and heightened concerns about global supply.

Brent crude, the benchmark for international oil prices, climbed as much as 3% on Sunday to exceed $106 a barrel before easing slightly in early Monday trading. As of 04:30 GMT, Brent was trading at $104.63 per barrel, up nearly 1.5%.

Oil prices have risen more than 40% since the conflict began, pushing up fuel costs and raising concerns about a slowdown in the global economy.