Autorickshaw drivers face long wait amid LPG shortage crisis
The Hindu
Auto drivers face LPG crunch, endure long queues and capped refills, crippling daily earnings.
Autorickshaw drivers continued to grapple with the frustration of either being denied LPG or having to wait for hours in serpentine queues for their turn to stock up.
Drivers on Tuesday night were forced to wait for long hours at a filling station in Bairamalguda. The queue wound its way past buildings and residences, stretching to the length of a five-minute ride, with scores of autorickshaws lined up.
While those in Bairamalguda waited through the night, some drivers who managed to refill from other filling stations said there was an unofficial cap of ₹500 worth of auto gas at certain filling stations. Many outlets, they added, remained shut for LPG even as petrol and diesel continued to be dispensed.
“Bezaar ho gaya saab. Bas bas hogaya (I am vexed, sir. Enough is enough). If I wait for so long, when will I earn and how much will I earn? How am I supposed to feed my family? Only two or three days ago, I was charged ₹93 per kilo. This is more than the regular rate,” said Shaik Mukhtar, an autorickshaw driver plying on the Mohammadi Lines road.
Others pointed out that autorickshaw drivers, tired by the unavailability of LPG, had staged a protest near a filling station in Rajendranagar along the PV Narasimha Rao Expressway.
“Everybody is sleeping at home. We are sleeping in our autos on the roads. Is the government waiting till we lose everything? I can now say that in a day or two, paying ₹400 as rent for my auto will be impossible,” said Khaleel Khan, another driver operating in the same area.
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