Oxígeno en Ruedas (Oxygen on Wheels) is a new service that has emerged in the Guadalajara metropolitan area to help families in poorer neighborhoods who are struggling to find supplies of O2 amid the current shortage brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The mobile unit sets up each day in a convenient and shaded location, such as the San Jacinto park (above) on the city’s east side.
People wait patiently in line to refill their small oxygen cylinders, secure in the knowledge they will be charged a fair price. Police and Civil Protection officers are on hand to ensure the refilling process is carried out in an orderly and safe manner, while observing Covid protocols. The van has the capacity to refill between 60 and 65 425- or 682-liter tanks per visit at a cost of 250 pesos. Each day’s location is posted on the Oxígeno en Ruedas Facebook page. There is no phone number and the company does not rent or sell cylinders.