Volgograd drivers spoke out against the Astrakhan fuel sale system.

The sale of gasoline on even and odd days depending on the car's number will, at best, provide a short-term effect, but will definitely not solve the problem of fuel shortages and queues at gas stations, believe drivers from Volgograd and the region interviewed by "Caucasian Knot."

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", by July 7, more than half of the gas stations in Volgograd were closed, and queues formed at all open gas stations. Authorities insist that fuel supplies are timely and sufficient, and the crisis is caused by "artificial hype." On July 9, residents of the Volgograd region complained about a sharp rise in fuel prices. In Astrakhan, queues at gas stations did not decrease after the introduction of gasoline sales on even and odd days depending on the car's number: drivers line up in advance even at non-working gas stations in hopes of buying fuel.

The Astrakhan practice of using a fuel filling schedule on even and odd days will not be effective, believe Volgograd drivers interviewed today by "Caucasian Knot." The survey is not representative and reflects only the private opinions of the respondents.

"Meaningless and ineffective" is how a resident of the Central District of Volgograd Olga Kitaeva described the initiative of the Astrakhan authorities. "For all drivers to know about such a schedule, it is necessary to announce it through all media and hang notices along the roads. I am sure that without such an information campaign, many Volgograd residents simply will not learn about such a schedule, and conflicts and stabbings will begin at gas stations. And then, people from districts and other regions come to our regional center. What should they do? If they arrive on the wrong day - they have to wait a day for their date," Olga reflects.

Volgograd historian Andrey Kudинов called this measure "the simplest attempt to curb the hype at gas stations." "An effective measure is a response to increased demand with increased production and fuel supplies to gas stations. But it seems that the authorities have given up, and they remembered the 'even-odd' from the early 1990s. If the fuel shortage persists in the region, such queuing will not help. There will be queues on both even and odd days," Kudинов said.

A resident of the district center Ilovlya Zhanna Kurilkova recalled the "tricks of the 90s" when a similar situation occurred in the Lower Volga region. "We have an odd day, but today on an even day, I urgently need to refuel. We go to a neighbor with an even number, he gives us his number, we attach it and go to the gas station. The main thing is not to get caught by the traffic police - otherwise, it works out calmly. I think such mutual assistance among drivers will be widespread in Volgograd," the woman noted.

"As a temporary measure, such a schedule may work. Well, it will work for a month or two. But then, if the fuel shortage continues, the crisis will worsen again. We need to better protect our oil refineries from drone attacks and restore the damaged ones. No fuel means empty shelves in stores, the economy will stop. How can the authorities turn a blind eye to this?" believes Zhanna's husband Vladimir.

A resident of the Soviet District of Volgograd, who introduced himself as Boris, also believes that the schedule will provide, at best, a short-term effect. "Well, it will help (the measure) for a while, reduce tension, but the hype will remain anyway. That is, queues will not be two kilometers long, but one. They have led the country into such a situation... We used to live peacefully, well, and now we have come to even-odd at gas stations. Shame," he exclaimed.

Engineer of the communal service Vladimir Evstratov expressed hope that Volgograd would not adopt the practice already in place in the Astrakhan region. "I am sure that the existing restrictions on the volume of fuel released and the ban on filling gasoline into canisters are sufficient. The hype will soon subside, everything will return to normal. There is no need to further terrorize drivers," he believes.

A resident of Kalach-on-Don, who introduced herself as Maria, suggested that the "even-odd" measure could reduce queues. According to her, there are currently long queues at local gas stations. "There is a hype now. Many people refuel based on panic rather than real needs. Everyone keeps saying that soon there will be no fuel at all. They fill their cars' tanks to the brim, into canisters. Fishermen have started filling fuel into their boats' tanks. They say it won't spoil for six months. Well, it's clear that everyone has started to limit fuel consumption. People no longer drive to the regional center in their cars, and few go fishing on the river. They have taken out manual scythes, and they are not using gasoline ones on their plots for now. The world has changed in Kalach, for the worse, in an unpleasant way," the woman sighed.

Public figure and politician Ilya Kravchenko (recognized as a foreign agent by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation) traveled around several gas stations in the Volgograd region and the highway leading to the Caucasus.

"In Volgograd, there are only state gas stations, which is why there are queues. In the south (of the Volgograd region), about half of the private gas stations have free prices, about twice as high - not 60 (rubles per liter), but 120, but there are no queues there. There are almost no closed gas stations, and there is plenty of diesel fuel everywhere. Closer to Nalchik, only commercial gas stations start on the highway. A minimum of 90 rubles per liter for A-92 brand," he told a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot."