We're not being alarmist, but the fact is, there is no CNG. Petrol and diesel stocks are expected to run out today. Combined, it will affect rickshaws, taxis and BEST buses. Trains will be overloaded with stranded commuters. (And yes, no piped cooking gas in parts of city
We're not being alarmist, but the fact is, there is no CNG. Petrol and diesel stocks are expected to run out today. Combined, it will affect rickshaws, taxis and BEST buses. Trains will be overloaded with stranded commuters. (And yes, no piped cooking gas in parts of city)u00a0u00a0
Take a train home, that is, of course, if you made it to work today. Or hitchhike. As the strike by 14 oil PSUs enters its third day today, most of the 256 petrol pumps in the city are running low on stocks.
In fact, 70 per cent of petrol pumps have already shut down and as many taxis and autorickshaws have stopped plying.
Almost 90 of the 132 CNG filling stations in Mumbai and Thane have shut down.
Last night, Manoj Ghorade took over 40 minutes to find an autorickshaw from Malad to his home in Andheri. "I couldn't see a single rickshaw on the road for the first 30 minutes and later when one came along, the driver said it was low on fuel," said Ghorade.
Seraj Mansoori and Kamal Rai hitched a ride in a Tata Sumo to go to Andheri from Goregaon. "We were on the streets for more than an hour and couldn't find a single rickshaw or taxi. In desperation, we had to ask for a lift from private vehicles," said Mansoori.
Most petrol stations claim they have run out of petrol, and stocks of diesel are alarmingly low and are likely to run out today. Affected immediately are the 55,000 taxis and 1 lakh autorickshaws, which have already gone off the roads. There are 1,000 CNG BEST buses, that will be off the roads today. BEST will be running more diesel-run buses, but stocks of diesel are also low.
Deepak Singh, a taxi driver, was queuing up for CNG outside the Hind Petrol pump in Mahim from 8.45 pm. "I have been here for four hours and it's nearing 1 am, but the queue has not moved at all. I guess I will have to sit at home tomorrow," sighs Singh. Said Santosh Tiwari owner of the petrol pump, "The stocks are almost over and we won't be able to refill any vehicles today."
Durga Prasad Yadav, another taxi driver, is more pragmatic. "There is no fuel available, almost 70 to 80 per cent of taxis have stopped plying and what I have heard is by tomorrow there won't be a single auto or taxi on the roads," said Yadav.
Said Taranjeet Singh, owner of Gurunanak petrol pump, Andheri, "The supply of CNG has been stopped since 3 pm, our petrol stock is over and even diesel will not last till the morning. We were expecting refuelling to take place yesterday, but there were no supplies. The companies do not inform the petrol pumps. I will have to shut my pump today."
256
Number of petrol pumps in the city
90
CNG outlets shut
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1.10 lakh
Number of vehicles that use CNG in Mumbai
350
Number of BEST buses that will be off the road. 1,000 run on CNG
ESMA
Govt issues ultimatum to oil PSUs. Wants them to return to work today
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