Spatial Distribution of Petrol Filling Stations in Yakurr Lga of Cross River State-Nigeria

Petrol filling stations are vital but their location can also pose safety risks hence, there is need to adhere to regulatory guidelines. This study utilizes Geographic Information System (GIS) tools to analyze the placement of fuel stations in Yakurr local government areas of Cross River State. Quantitative research method was employed for the study. This involved acquiring primary and secondary data. Petrol filling stations coordinates were captured using Garmin 76CSX Handheld GPS, the attributes data such as name of business/roads were recorded, distance between filling stations and setback were measured directly on the ArcGIS 10.3. The results of the analysis showed that the stations are concentrated along Calabar-Ikom Highway. Furthermore, (54.17%) petrol filling stations complied with the 400M spacing rule, while 46.83% did not. 41.67% kept the minimum setback of 15M, while 58.33% of the filling stations have a setback of less than 15M. Many lacked essential firefighting equipment: fire extinguishers, sand buckets and water. In conclusion, the study suggest that regulatory bodies should be more proactive and effective by conducting frequent inspections of petrol filling stations to ensure compliance with recommended regulatory guidelines.