West Asia conflict: Auto LPG price hike triggers fear among drivers, passengers
Kolkata: Amid the West Asia conflict, a sudden Rs 5 per litre hike in auto LPG, taking prices to Rs 62.68, has sparked panic among auto drivers and fears of fare hikes among passengers. For the third consecutive day, long queues of autos snaked through Kolkata’s refuelling stations as drivers rushed to top up tanks amid supply concerns.
Fare hikes have already been reported on some routes. On the Chingrighata–SDF route, the fare has increased from Rs 15 to Rs 18 per passenger. Commuters also reported higher fares on the Garia–Baruipur and Sonarpur–Garia routes, though no uniform decision on a fare revision has been taken.
Drivers said long waiting hours at pumps were cutting into daily trips and affecting earnings. Dudh Kumar Mondal, who drives on the Topsia–Sealdah route, said: “Because we are spending so much time waiting at the pump, our income is getting affected. We are losing around Rs 500 to Rs 600 a day.”
Drivers further stated that queues at some pumps stretched far beyond the stations. R N Halder, who operates on the Ultodanga–Sovabazar route, said: “The queue at the Manicktala pump stretched up to Rajabazar Science College and the City Centre line reached Bidyut Bhawan in Karunamoyee on Tuesday. It took me three-and-a-half to four hours to get gas from the Bengal Chemical station, with the line stretching till Kankurgachi.”
Meanwhile, pump operators said the queues were largely due to panic refuelling rather than a shortage of LPG.
Amarnath Pathak, manager of the auto LPG pump near Bengal Chemical, said: “Earlier drivers would fill Rs 200 or Rs 250 worth of gas. Now those who wait in line for two hours are filling their tanks fully, sometimes Rs 800 or Rs 900 at a time.” The pump receives around six tonnes of LPG daily, but the stock is being exhausted quickly due to the surge in demand, Pathak said. “Earlier, around 1,500 autos would come in a day. Now it has increased to about 2,500 to 3,000 vehicles. Drivers from other pumps also come here after those outlets run dry.”
Operations usually begin at 6 am and continue till around 11 am, but in recent days the stock has been exhausted by 6 am or 7 am because of the surge in demand, he added.
Drivers also said queues had lengthened as some operators who earlier used domestic LPG illegally were shifting to authorised auto LPG pumps amid uncertainty over cooking gas supply. Passengers said the rise in fuel prices and continuing queues could eventually push up fares across routes, though no formal revision has been announced. Drivers said any fare change would be decided by the unions.
