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Panic at the pumps as Ludhiana runs dry by noon amid truckers’ strike
Ludhiana residents swarm filling stations, which ran out of fuel amid the strike called drivers of commercial vehicles
Anticipating fuel shortage amid the strike called drivers of commercial vehicles, panicked residents thronged city petrol pumps, all of which ran dry by the afternoon.
The city has a total of 340 petrol pumps, with all witnessing swarms of customers beginning Tuesday morning looking to stock up on the essential commodity at the earliest.
Taking note of the situation, deputy commissioner Surabhi Malik convened a meeting with petroleum dealers and depot heads of oil companies including Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited at her office.
The DC appealed to the city residents to not fall for rumours, adding that there was no need to stock up on fuel as the district administration was keeping a close eye on the situation.
Malik said the district administration would offer full support to the companies in facilitating the supply to the fuel stations and warned against any kind of hoarding by the petrol pumps or the public.
Joint commissioner of police Saumya Mishra, additional deputy commissioners Gautam Jain and Rupinderpal Singh, Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority’s (GLADA) Amarjit Bains and others were also present in the meeting.
Residents, meanwhile, were a harried lot for most of the day, finding themselves stuck in serpentine queues and chaos outside pumps.
Janmeja Singh, a city resident who was stuck in line for over two hours at the Laxmi Petrol Pump on Ferozepur road, said, “I could not reach work until after 12 as there was no way to get out of the chaos. The government should have taken prior steps and communicated with the public so people can make prior arrangements.”
Dishant Kumar, another city resident stuck in a queue at a petrol pump near Fountain Chowk, also spoke of his ordeal, “My mother works in a 24x7 store, and her shift was over around noon. I had to wait at the petrol pump in the morning in the biting cold, but still could not get out in time.”
The trickle effect was felt by those using cabs for their daily commute. Jasleen Kaur, a physiotherapist, said, “I usually go to my patients’ places to give them treatment. I have to pay almost 60% more for private cabs to reach a distance of around 5 km.”
“The petrol pumps were dry, and these private cabs have hiked their rates. In the end, it’s the people who face the brunt. I request the state government to check the fare structure of these cabs, as they are charging very high when residents are already facing multiple challenges,” she added.
Amrik Singh, another local resident, said cab fares went up 30-40% instantly. He revealed that he had to pay nearly ₹200 for his trip from Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar to Model Town, which usually costs him ₹120.
Fruit, veggies supply also hit
The supply of fruits and vegetables was been hit amid the strike, with Sabji Mandi Association Ludhiana president Gurkamal Singh saying supply of essentials like onions, tomatoes, garlic, lemons, ginger as well as fruits, including apple, guava and oranges was affected, resulting in a price hike.
The city bus stand has more than 250 buses under Punjab Roadways and PRTC. Navraj Batish, the general manager at Amar Shaheed Sukhdev Thapar Interstate Bus Terminal, said they have a fuel reserve that would sustain them for three days, due to which the strike has not had any effect yet.
Bus drivers, however, announced that they would observe a two-hour strike from Wednesday.
Local transport body extends support to stir
Meanwhile, Ludhiana goods transports association announced support to the drivers.
JP Aggarwal, president of Ludhiana Goods Transport Association, said the All India Motor Transport Congress has decided to support the drivers. He added that due to the amendment in the hit-and-run cases all drivers – including trucks, buses, taxis, school vans and three wheelers would be affected.
Ludhiana Petroleum Dealers Association chairperson Ashok Sachdeva said fuel stations normally keep a stock that lasts them three days. He added that as drivers of oil tankers have ended the strike, the majority of the filling stations would get the supply before Wednesday morning.
