COIMBATORE: A few auto LPG filling stations in Coimbatore have shut down owing to supply disruptions in the wake of the conflict in the Middle East, upsetting motorists relying on this alternative fuel. An official from a private gas filling station in Coimbatore city told TNIE that the LPG supply had been disconnected from the supply line since Monday due to a shortage. He added that the station usually required 35 metric tonnes of LPG per month.
The stations at Ukkadam and Saibaba Kovil on the Mettupalayam Road in the city, along with a few stations in the rural areas of Coimbatore district, have been closed due to the supply crunch. The authorities have placed boards announcing the shutdown. "We don't know when the supply will resume," he said, noting that many motorists had arrived here and went back disappointment.
An official of a petrol bunk at Saibab Kovil told TNIE that their vehicle was sent to Kochi in Kerala to take LPG stock. "However, due to a shortage of LPG, the vehicle is yet to return, and as a result, the LPG station section has been shut down for a week," he said.
However, auto LPG filling stations near Singanallur, Selvapuram and Sundrapuram in the city were functioning on Wednesday. "Stock is available at present, and an additional 12 metric tonnes of LPG is coming from Perundurai. There is no shortage here," stated an official of a petrol bunk in Singanallur.
An autorickshaw driver, K Parthiban of Vadavalli, told TNIE that LPG shortage has not affected them as only one or two autorickshaws out of 100 in Coimbatore city are operating with attached LPG cylinders. He said a few auto LPG stations are still functioning in the city and that he filled in vehicle with the fuel at Singanallur on Wednesday. "If the shortage worsens, we may have no option but to stop running the autorickshaws. We will know in the coming days," he said.
Call taxi drivers, meanwhile, said they had to wait 30 minutes in queue at the stations to get CNG for their vehicles as usual.
