Fuel Finder Helping Motorists Save at the Pumps

Imagine, with just a tap of your phone, having a list of all gas stations in Jamaica, their locations, and the cheapest and most up-to-date fuel prices.

This has been made possible by young entrepreneur, Garfield Coke, through his innovation dubbed ‘Fuel Finder’, which was recently showcased at a Start-Up Jamaica exposition held in Kingston.

A must-have application (app) for drivers, Fuel Finder allows the user to find the lowest gas prices, discover stations closest to them, including those with amenities such as air pumps, tyre services, among others.

Speaking in an interview with JIS News, Mr. Coke says the creation of the app was in response to the need for Jamaicans to save money at the pumps.

“In this current time where gas prices are currently fluctuating, finding the best gas price is ideal for most persons,” he says.

He informs that the android app is available at the Google Play Store and is encouraging Jamaicans to download and use the feature.

The young entrepreneur further informs that the Fuel Finder app can assist consumers, particularly those in rural Jamaica, to find gas stations closest to them or facilities that offer 24-hour service.

“Fuel Finder allows you to view a map and see what’s around you, see all the gas stations, and (various services offered). If for example, you’re in St. Elizabeth at

11:00 p.m., and you want to get back to Kingston, and you don’t have enough gas, you can actually go in Fuel Finder, search for 24-hour gas stations and this will show you all the gas stations close to you that are open 24 hours,” he tells JIS News.

Fuel Finder also enables motorists to discover new gas stations, save your favourite gas stations for quick access, get driving directions, view price statistics to analyse trends, and share prices with family and friends.

Apart from downloading the Fuel Finder application, persons interested in taking advantage of the services and wealth of information available may also visit the website the www.fuel-finder.com.

Mr. Coke is among entrepreneurs benefitting from mentorship and other business support services through the Start-Up Jamaica initiative.  He is hoping to use the development opportunities offered through the programme to reach a wider audience.

“The main goal from Start-Up Jamaica is the networking. A lot of persons find Fuel Finder to be a very useful tool but the wider Jamaica does not know about Fuel Finder and I hope that there’s a push from Start-Up Jamaica to get Fuel Finder out to the masses; get it to the persons, who actually need it,” Mr. Coke says.

He was among several Start-Up Jamaica entrepreneurs, who got an opportunity to showcase their ideas to members of the private sector during the exposition held at the facility’s head office in downtown Kingston.

Highlighting the importance of the exposition, Minister of State in the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, Hon. Julian Robinson, says it will provide the participants with additional exposure, which may ultimately lead to more customers or potential investment opportunities.

“We are providing an opportunity for the entrepreneurs to showcase their applications, their solutions, their offerings and we have invited people from the private sector and otherwise to come in and look and see what they are doing, it’s really an opportunity to give them the exposure,” he points out.

He used the opportunity to encourage members of the private sector to support the young entrepreneurs by providing mentorship and other support.

“We are committed to showcasing the entrepreneurs to as wide an audience and to as many different persons as possible so that they can get exposure, they can continue to work, and ultimately many of them are seeking investment,” he says.

Mr. Robinson says social media, among other avenues, will be used to promote businesses benefitting under the initiative.

Start-Up Jamaica is a five-year public/private partnership for economic growth and development, which aims to help Jamaica’s innovators and entrepreneurs grow their business ideas into a product, thus increasing employment and access to foreign exchange.

The initiative also seeks to move Jamaicans from being primarily consumers of technology to becoming producers; and to position the country as a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship within the Caribbean region.

It is expected that over the five-year period, the project will attract a significant number of young Jamaicans, who can be inspired to create their own start-ups.

Since the programme was launched in 2014, a number of local businesses have received the opportunity to pitch their business ideas to several potential investors willing to provide funding and business development support.

It is an initiative spearheaded by the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining.