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Fuel stations run empty amid panic buying in Punjab
Petroleum companies have ample stock at bulk storage points, including Bathinda, but retail outlets run dry as tanker drivers refuse to take supply to outlets
Long queues of vehicles were seen at fuel stations across districts of Punjab since Tuesday morning amid panic buying of petrol and diesel in the region on the second day of the strike by drivers of oil tankers, hitting supply.
There are an estimated 1 lakh trucks, private buses and tankers in the state of which most remained off road, affecting supplies.
Also read: Truckers strike enters Day 2, long queues at petrol pumps
Bathinda is among the key bulk storage points of the major public sector players Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited.
Petrol pump dealers said that retail outlets in the state are on the verge of running dry as tanker drivers refused to take supply of petrol and diesel to the outlets.
A transport company operator, Vivek Garg, said the drivers have refused to drive trucks and canters in protest against the provision of an increased jail term of 7-10 years for hit-and-run cases under the new rules. He said the strike has suspended all supplies by commercial transport.
“Drivers are calling us to convey their resentment against the stringent provisions in the central law. Drivers fear that they would be subjected to mob lynching if they do not flee after unfortunate instances of mishaps. The future course will be announced after three days of strike that started on Monday,” said Garg.
In Bathinda, several fuel stations reported complete exhaustion of diesel, whereas users were spotted filling petrol in their two-wheelers and cars.
Bathinda Petrol Pump Dealers Association president Vinod Bansal said the situation may deteriorate by the evening when more retail outlets go without fuel and it may further impact public transport.
“Petroleum companies have ample stock at the storage facilities in Bathinda and there is supply. IOCL and BP supply petrol and diesel from here to retail stations in Bathinda, Fazilka, Moga and four districts of south Malwa. HPCL also caters to the demands of Jammu, Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh regions from the Bathinda supply point. People are resorting to panic buying of fuel, leading to exhaustion of supply,” said Bansal.
Prices of veggies, fruits skyrocket
Ludhiana: All 340 petrol pumps of Ludhiana district ran dry by Tuesday afternoon, as local residents crowded fuel stations following the strike call by drivers of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and tankers.
Ashok Sachdeva, the chairman of the Ludhiana Petroleum Dealers Association, said that generally, fuel stations keep stock of three days. In such conditions, people fill their fuel tanks, fearing they will get supply after the strike ends.
The supply of fruits and vegetables has also been hit. Gurkamal Singh, the president of the Sabji Mandi Association in Ludhiana, said supply of onions, tomatoes, garlic, lemons, ginger and fruits, including apple, guava and oranges, has been affected and rates of vegetables and fruits have skyrocketed in one day.
The city bus stand has more than 250 buses under Punjab Roadways and PRTC. Navraj Battish, the general manager at Amar Shaheed Sukhdev Thapar Interstate Bus Terminal, said: “We have a reserve of fuel for three days due to which the strike has not had any effect yet but from Wednesday, we could stop operation of buses on some routes.”
Bus drivers announced that they would observe a two-hour strike from Wednesday.
Residents had a tough time commuting by taxis. Amrik Singh, a local resident, said cabs had hiked fares immediately. He used to book a cab from Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar to Model Town and used to pay ₹120, but on Tuesday the cab service took ₹180 from him.
