KOCHI: Some fuel stations in Kochi are having a tough time due to limited supply after the recent two-day strike by tanker lorries. Fuel station owners said many prominent fuel companies failed to extend the timing for supply after the strike, causing some to either shut down or limit their services.
They also alleged that some of the private petroleum companies were creating an artificial shortage of fuel in the market, expecting a further increase in the rates.
All-Kerala Federation of Petroleum Traders state president Tomy Thomas said the petroleum companies were not working extra hours to compensate for the reduction in supply due to the strike by tanker lorries from Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum on Saturday and Monday.
“When supply was affected, there were many panic buyers. But when it resumed, companies did not allot extra time. Nayara and Reliance are increasing their prices to reduce their sales. An artificial shortage of fuel was created in the market when they reduced the supply,” he alleged.
The traders demanded that the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation and the Bharat Petroleum Corporation should increase their filling time at the terminals. They alleged that some filling stations with their own tanker lorries also had to close down due to fuel shortage. Earlier, the petroleum companies used to extend their supply timings to compensate for the lost days, traders added.
However, they closed the supply at 4 pm after the recent strike. Pump owners say there will be more shortage as two more strikes are announced this month. Around 350-400 loads were stuck in the recent strike.