Drop in panic-buying reduces auto pain in city

Kolkata: Autorickshaw services across several routes began returning to near-normal levels on Saturday as queues at auto LPG dispensing stations shortened and panic-buying by drivers eased. Operators said the situation improved significantly compared to the past few days, when refilling an auto LPG tank often required waiting for 4 to 5 hours.The improvement came as fears of fuel shortages, which triggered a rush at dispensing stations earlier in the week, began to fade. Drivers said while the situation is yet to fully stabilise, the waiting time for refuelling reduced to about 1 hour at most stations.Md Mehboob, an auto driver who operated on Park Circus-Chandni route for nearly a decade, said the situation improved considerably since Thursday and Friday. "Earlier it used to take just 5 to 7 minutes to refill our autos. We would do it either early in the morning or late at night," Mehboob said. "But after the restrictions on commercial LPG were announced, queues at the stations became very long. Sometimes we waited for hours to hear that the stock ran out. Today I got my tank filled in about 1 hour."The crisis earlier this week disrupted services on several routes as drivers struggled to obtain fuel. With fewer autos able to refill quickly, many stayed off the roads, leading to reduced availability of vehicles for commuters.OMC officials confirmed that panic-buying caused an unprecedented spike in auto LPG sales in the city. The average sale of auto LPG during Jan and Feb was about 10.7 tonnes per day, but the figure shot up dramatically this week.Sales climbed to 35.7 tonnes on March 11 — over 3 times the normal average — before dropping slightly to 23.9 tonnes on March 12. Officials said sales on March 13 were also expected to cross 20 tonnes, indicating continued high demand but gradual stabilisation. Interestingly, the surge in demand followed a Rs 5 rise in auto LPG prices, which officials said prompted drivers to rush to refill tanks.Operators also said the problem was compounded by uneven distribution of auto LPG stations across city. On some routes, including Park Circus-Chandni, there are no dedicated stations, forcing drivers to travel several kilometres to refill. "When queues get longer, autos from nearby routes tried to block others from refilling at the station," said another auto operator. The manager at a Behala dispensing station said the rush began to ease as drivers realised that supplies are stable.