Maui town’s gas station has closed for 10 days

WAILUKU, Maui >> The lone gas station in a community at the east end of Maui has closed for 10 days.

The temporary closure of Hana Pit Stop is part of a Texaco rebranding that’s occurring at all Chevron stations statewide. The Hana station’s general manager, Marni Aina, said Monday that a Maui Oil truck will provide gas at the site for a limited time each day. The station is expected to reopen May 25.

Aina said the truck will be available to service one customer at a time. The convenience store will remain open during regular business hours.

“I know it’s hard for people, and we feel really, really badly about that,” Aina said. “Unfortunately, to keep the gas station open we have to do this work … It’s really hard out here since it’s the only gas station. A lot of people don’t go to town for gas because of our remoteness.”

Aina said the upgrades will make fuel dispensers faster and more dependable.

“In the long term it’s a good project. This part is hard,” Aina said. “We’ll do our best to make sure everybody has the fuel they need.”

The station usually services about 200 customers a day, Aina said. Regular gas prices as of Monday were $5.48 a gallon, with midgrade fuel at $5.58 and diesel at $5.78.

The gas station has closed in the past for other types of work, but Aina said this is the longest closure she’s encountered since starting at the station in 2010.

Rod Antone, the county’s communications director, said county emergency personnel services are concerned that visitors and tour groups might become stranded in east Maui.

The office of Maui County Councilman Bob Carroll, who holds the East Maui residency seat, said Monday that it was aware of the situation and had sent out notices to the community and businesses. Lisa Paulson, executive director of the Maui Hotel & Lodging Association, said she planned to notify businesses as well as a rental car company that is a member of the association.

Paulson said it’s hard to notify all visitors and suggested that perhaps the Maui Police Department could put up a notification board in Paia to let motorists know to fill up their tanks.