By Kimberly Spykerman

One is a lonely number, and it is the reason motorists in Punggol are being driven mad.

The new town has just one petrol station and long, snaking queues are common, especially during the weekends.

The Singapore Petroleum Centre (SPC) station at the junction of Punggol Central Road and Edgefield Plains caters to 82,000 residents. Neighbouring new town Sengkang has three petrol stations.

Staff at the Punggol petrol station told The Sunday Times that on busy days, as many as 10 cars line the road leading up to it, despite there being no huge discounts.

Said bank manager Serena Lee: "I avoid going there on weekends and Monday mornings. I go at night, or during non-peak hours."

Although Ms Lee, 49, does not live there, she goes to Punggol almost every day to visit her elderly mother. Her longest wait to fill up was about 10 minutes.

When contacted, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said land is set aside for petrol stations in new towns. The release of sites for tender depends on factors such as the growth and size of the new town, it added.

SPC secured the 30-year Punggol site three years ago for $8.5 million. Mr Charles Chong, an MP for Pasir-Ris Punggol GRC, said: "It's a chicken and egg situation."

He explained that a critical mass would entice businesses to set up; on the other hand, residents will not move in without the facilities.

"If the essential facilities can develop together with residential properties, that is ideal but it's not an easy balance to strike."

The URA said that while demand is a key factor, there are some areas, such as densely built-up Orchard Road, which are simply no-go zones because of "security and technical requirements".

One expert, Associate Professor Belinda Yuen from the Department of Real Estate, National University of Singapore, felt that safety and accessibility are top-most considerations in decisions on the location of petrol stations, especially since petrol is highly flammable.

"It's best to locate these petrol stations a safe distance from residential and crowded areas. There should also be sufficient open space around them to provide a buffer, and no flammable material in case of fire," she added. In all, there are about 200 petrol stations in Singapore.

Areas like Serangoon and Bukit Timah boast at least three stations in a single kilometre stretch.

Petrol stations, meanwhile, are upping their game to woo customers.

Besides fuel, customers can get a whole lot more at the stations.

For example, FairPrice Xpress stores at Esso stations were recently enhanced to add fresh produce such as frozen meat, cheese and vegetables to their line-up of products.

It also trotted out Citibank drivethrough ATMs at several outlets last year.

Said Exxonmobil's retail manager Thia Ling Ling: "With changing demographics such as more dualincome busy families, we offer our customers the convenience of shopping for their groceries, or withdrawing cash from an ATM, all while refuelling their cars at the station."

This article was first published in The Straits Times.

For more The Straits Times stories, click here.