A one-hour queue at the gas station: how Nizhny Novgorod residents refuel in the new realities

      July 11, 2026 11:54 Society NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" - Anastasia Nazarova "Is the tank half empty or half full?" - a new variation of the optimism test. For several weeks now, Nizhny Novgorod drivers have been living by new rules: queues at gas stations have become a familiar part of the day. And since July 9, a new service order has been introduced in the region. Now, on even days, fuel is sold to cars with license plates starting with an even number, and on odd days - to those with an odd number. The editor-in-chief of NIA "Nizhny Novgorod," Anastasia Nazarova, had been postponing her trip to the gas station until the last moment. But the day of reckoning had come. More precisely, the night. How long does a regular trip for gasoline actually take now? Can it be done in an hour? And is there even gasoline in the city? Here’s the story from the first person. Odd July 11 is my day. Understanding that many will rush to their dachas on Saturday morning, stopping at the gas station on the way, I decided to act at night. I set my alarm for 03:00 and headed to the "Lukoil" gas station near "Okeanis." Before leaving, I checked the "thematic" service from Sber, which displays activity at gas stations. The system showed that payments had recently been made at the gas station I needed. So, there was still gasoline there. Then I opened "Yandex Maps" to make sure there were no terrible traffic jams on the way. I was quite surprised: the road to the gas station was "green," and immediately after it, in the area of the water park and "Switzerland" park, it was "yellow." Apparently, some kind of bug. On the way, I came across another gas station - a fuel truck had just arrived there. And the queue, by current standards, was quite small. But I didn’t manage to orient myself and drove on. The line of cars to "Lukoil" started at the traffic light near the Sports Palace. However, the queue was constantly moving. And then I became curious: should I leave the engine running during short stops or not? I looked it up online. It turned out there is a ten-second rule: if the stop lasts longer, it’s more efficient to turn off the engine - more fuel burns at idle than is needed for a restart. By the way, there was time to study the numbers in the queue. Most of them started with an odd number, but there were also "illegals" with even ones. To jump ahead, I’ll say: that night no one was turned away. Anyone who wanted could refuel, regardless of their number. On weekdays, they say, it’s stricter. A friend told me how, in her presence, volunteers approached drivers with "wrong" numbers and asked them to leave the queue. However, if the tank is completely empty and you can't drive any further, they still allow you to refuel. That is, they treat people humanely. Half an hour later, I finally reached the turn to the gas station. And that’s where the most interesting part began. From one long queue, cars started to disperse to several pumps. But not everyone switched lanes immediately and continued to stand in one line, even though the adjacent ones were freer. It’s enough to get out of the car, look around, and choose which one to approach faster. And, of course, remember in advance which side your fuel cap is on. Otherwise, you’ll wait in the queue for "right-side" tanks, while yours is on the left. Why stress yourself and others unnecessarily? Before my eyes, a woman tried to pour gasoline into a canister, but the attendant stopped her. "You can't," he said, crossing his palms in a prohibitive gesture. The woman shook her head disapprovingly and inserted the nozzle into the car's fuel tank. Finally, it was my turn. At the register, I said I wanted to fill up to a full tank. But I didn’t know how many liters would fit. The girl tiredly replied that she would now charge for a full tank, and the money for the extra liters would automatically return to the card later. And that’s exactly what happened. Wait. So, the limit of 40 liters doesn’t apply? At least, at the gas station where I refueled, the restriction was not enforced that night. At 04:33, I left the gas station heading home. The whole process took exactly an hour. By current standards, that’s quite reasonable. Just a few days ago, fellow drivers were telling me that they spent the whole night at gas stations waiting for fuel trucks. Meanwhile, the regional Ministry of Energy says that the fuel situation at Nizhny Novgorod gas stations may stabilize soon. Experts also believe that the current shortage is temporary and expect the crisis to end this summer. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on the main events, exclusive materials, and operational information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When republishing, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+.