February 29 causes a malfunction and paralyzes gas stations in the country
New Zealand motorists are having difficulty refueling on Thursday, February 29. Across the country, gas stations have been partially or even completely closed to the public. Reason: A programming error related to leap year.
Self-service fuel pumps were closed across New Zealand on Thursday, with several companies reporting a leap year-related “software issue” that left motorists in a lurch. In the capital, Wellington, some stations closed completely, leaving customers facing signs reading “Nationwide Payment Outage – Site Unavailable.”
Software problem
“This is a national issue affecting all fuel brands and appears to be a software issue with the payment service provider caused by “It is a leap year on February 29,” said Julian Lees, spokesman for Noor Fuel Distribution Group. Noor's competitor Allied Petroleum said it was facing a similar problem, adding that “station staffed service” was slowly returning to service.
Another company, Z, apologized to customers: “We would like to assure you that we are working closely with our payment service provider to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.”
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