Bengaluru: Two weeks on, long queues of green LPG autorickshaws continue to be a common sight at fuel stations across the city. Very few private outlets remain operational, and many auto drivers are avoiding them due to higher prices.At a gas-filling station in Banashankari, jointly operated by Indian Oil and Petronas, footfall has been minimal. According to locals, the station remained shut for several days. A similar situation persists across many private gas stations in the city, which continue to struggle with low demand and intermittent closures.“Since this crisis began, I’ve only been refuelling at govt-run pumps. Most private stations are closed, and even when they are open, they charge around Rs 120 per litre of LPG,” said Velu, an autorickshaw driver from Majestic. A private LPG filling station on Bannerghatta Road near Jayadeva Hospital Metro station remained open but saw little interest from autorickshaws. According to drivers, the price here, capped at Rs 120 per litre, is nearly double what they paid before the crisis.Almost six kilometres away in Koramangala, an Indian Oil Corporation station presents a stark contrast. Long queues of autorickshaws stretch hundreds of metres into nearby residential layouts.At this station, drivers were observed arguing over queue priority. One autorickshaw, carrying a female passenger, even demanded to be let ahead. “More people queue up here because the price is around Rs 90 per litre, much lower than at private stations. Earnings have also dropped, as only a few trips are available,” said Syed Moula, a driver from Koramangala.Moula added that to cope with the situation, drivers like him, who rely solely on offline trips, are being forced to charge commuters an extra Rs 15–30 per ride.Dept to drivers: Don’t fall for scarcity rumoursAccording to the state govt, however, stability in auto LPG supply was restored between April 2 and 6. Public sector companies supplied 87.8 metric tonnes on April 2, 86.1 metric tonnes on April 3, 84.8 metric tonnes on April 4, peaking at 94.1 metric tonnes on April 5, and 83.6 metric tonnes on April 6.On Wednesday, the department of food, civil supplies and consumer affairs urged auto owners and drivers not to fall for rumours of scarcity and queue up unnecessarily at gas stations. “Only a minor shortage was observed at some private auto gas suppliers. To address this, govt-owned oil companies—IOC (Indian Oil), BPC (Bharat Petroleum), and HPC (Hindustan Petroleum)—are supplying additional gas,” the department said.Earlier, these three companies supplied an average of 56.7 metric tonnes of auto LPG daily. To meet current demand, the supply has now been increased significantly, with retail outlets receiving an average of 83.6 metric tonnes per day.
