CHENNAI: After snuffing the fire in hotel kitchens, fuel crisis is now steadily making its way into city’s transport sector, with auto drivers grappling with the sharp fall in LPG supplies and the subsequent overcharging at private fuel outlets and several LPG and CNG stations on the brink of closure due to fuel shortage.
"It takes nearly two hours to fill up. I usually refill around 5 am, but today, gas was not available," said Kandhamaran, who had been waiting for nearly 50 minutes since 9 am at a station in Madipakkam.
Drivers say LPG, which is officially priced at Rs 59.41 per kg, is being sold at Rs 70-80 per kg at some private bunks. At outlets run by oil companies, the price has been increased to Rs 64.51. At the same time, CNG, which is priced at Rs 90.50 per kg, has become difficult to get, pushing some drivers to temporarily depend on petrol.
"I had opted for CNG for its price and mileage. But now, I run on petrol, which squeezes my earnings. For around Rs 90 per kg, CNG gives nearly 30 km mileage, while petrol gives only around 20 km per litre," another driver said Commuters too are feeling the heat. While online bookings and offline availability still happens without hassle, the prices have shot up. "Auto drivers now demand Rs 40 more for Chennai central to Egmore,” said a passenger. "Aynavaram to Koyambedu usually costs Rs 130, now it's Rs180," said Deepika, a regular commuter.
"Overcharging has become inevitable. We have to increase the rates to offset our exorbitant fuel cost," said S Balasubramaniam, State working president of the Tamil Nadu Auto Thozhilalargal Sammelanam.
"Yesterday, around 25% of autos running on gas did not get a refill. The number will go up if the problem is not solved," said Balasubramaniam.
Meanwhile, fuel station operators are grappling with supply crunch.
A manager at the GO Gas LPG filling station in Little Mount said the outlet remained closed for two days due to the shortage, resulting in a loss of about Rs 1 lakh per day. "Five of our outlets remained closed because of the shortage. If it continues, it may affect both auto drivers and our business," he said.
Another LPG filling station on Five Furlong Road may also shut temporarily once they run out of the existing stock. "By Wednesday night our stock will be exhausted. Until we receive fresh supplies, the station may remain closed," said the manager, who requested anonymity.
Deliveries to bunks have also reduced. "We usually get two to three loads from suppliers. Now, we get only one load a day," said a bunk manager.
The shortage is compounded by the limited number of LPG-dispensing outlets in the city. According to union representatives, Chennai has around 40,000 LPG-run autos and nearly 20,000 CNG-run autos, while the number of stations equipped to dispense LPG remains small.
"Only around 13 bunks in the city have the capacity to install LPG tanks, as safety norms require a minimum distance of about 500 ft from petrol and diesel storage tanks. Some standalone gas bunks have come up in recent years, but they are not enough to cater to the number of vehicles depending on gas," Balasubramaniam said.