Chennai: Hundreds of autorickshaws queued up before fuel stations on Thursday to refill LPG as many outlets downed shutters due to non-availability of alternative fuel. The vehicles made a beeline up to 1km before petrol bunks with LPG facility at Guindy, Kilpauk, Avadi and other outlets. The drivers complained they had to wait for up to four hours.“I came around 8am. I’m yet to refill the tank at noon. We had to push the vehicle for more than a kilometre. How are we supposed to work and earn a livelihood after the long wait under the scorching sun,” asked Panneerselvam, an auto driver from Avadi.The crisis started a week ago and on Thursday, it affected the entire auto rickshaw fleet that runs on LPG. “Except the PSU outlets, LPG was being sold for about 100 per kg in other private outlets for the last one week. We had no other option than to pay up and ferry passengers without additional cost. Now, all of them have closed citing LPG shortage. Only Indian Oil outlets refill LPG and we have to check with fellow auto drivers as to which outlets have stock and rush to the spot,” said another auto driver.There are only 38 LPG bunks in the city to cater to 40,000 LPG autos. The drivers staged a protest in March against overpricing of LPG by private outlets, when LPG shortage hit the city for the first time due to the West Asia crisis.
