HYDERABAD: The ongoing conflict between the US–Israel alliance and Iran has pushed hundreds of autorickshaw drivers in Hyderabad into crisis, as LPG shortage eats into their incomes and disrupts their daily lives. The fuel crunch, triggered by disruptions in global supply chains, has left drivers grappling with long queues and mounting uncertainty.
Sameer Shaik, a father of three, now measures his days not by the number of passengers he ferries, but by the hours he spends waiting in fuel queues. For over a month, the auto driver has been caught in a punishing routine, standing in line for five to six hours each time his LPG tank runs dry. Back home, a family of seven depends on his daily earnings — but those earnings have steadily dwindled.
“In February, I could make Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 a day. It was enough to run the household,” Sameer recalls while pushing his auto in the queue for gas on Tuesday.
“Now, even earning Rs 500 is difficult. Some days, I return home with nothing because I couldn’t get fuel.”
For Sikander, an auto driver from LB Nagar, his day now begins with uncertainty. Every two days, he spends the night in a queue stretching 3–4 km, waiting for a chance to refuel. On those days, he tells his family not to expect him home. What was once a quick stop at a fuel station has turned into an overnight ordeal. “There are days when we wait for hours, only for the outlet to put up a ‘No Stock’ board,” Sikander says. “We just go back home with an empty tank.” He hops between outlets in Errum Manzil, Lakdikapul and Nagole, chasing shorter queues and better chances.
The shortage has also driven up prices, widening the gap between public and private outlets. While LPG at public sector stations is priced at around Rs 88 per kg, private operators are charging up to Rs 125, pushing desperate drivers towards cheaper pumps and longer queues. Just two months ago, rates were significantly lower — about Rs 53 at public outlets and Rs 73 at private stations. The sharp increase within such a short span has escalated operating costs for drivers already under strain.
It is now considered sheer luck to find a station that allows a full tank refill, Sameer says. “Even after standing in a long queue, we are often allowed to fill only Rs 500 worth of LPG. With that, we can operate for barely 80 km before having to get back in line again,” he adds, highlighting the cycle that keeps drivers tied to fuel stations rather than the roads.
Please pay more, say auto drivers
If fortunate, auto drivers are allowed to fill a full tank, now costing around Rs 2,250. However, the relief is short-lived, as the vehicle can run only about 300–350 km — roughly two days — before being forced back into another overnight queue, Sikander lamented. He also alleged that some outlets demand an extra Rs 100–Rs 120 to permit a full refill, despite restrictions meant to ensure equitable distribution, leaving those who refuse with only partial fills.
The hours lost in queues are cutting deep into drivers’ incomes, with peak business periods slipping away as they wait, engines off, for their turn.
Night-time queues have now become a common sight, says Vittal, another driver. Autos begin lining up as early as 9.30 pm, sacrificing night rides that once brought in extra income. Even as fuel costs rise, passengers are often unwilling to pay higher fares, further squeezing already thin margins.
The financial strain is compounded by daily vehicle rentals. Lingaiah, who pays Rs 450 a day to the auto owner, says the math no longer adds up. “We pay rent, we pay for fuel, and we spend hours in queues. What is left for us?” he asks. Many drivers, he adds, have already stopped operating their autos, unable to sustain mounting losses.
In a bid to cope, some drivers have begun placing notices inside their vehicles, requesting passengers — especially those booking through ride-hailing apps — to pay a little extra due to the LPG shortage. But even that offers limited relief.
“After driving 50 to 80 km on app rides, we barely cover fuel costs,” one driver says. “And then we have to return empty, which is another loss.”
In some autos, a detailed fare chart is displayed, listing per-kilometre rates based on timings.
According to one such chart, from 5 am to 10.30 pm, Rs 50 is charged for a minimum distance of 1.6 km, Rs 100 for 4 km, Rs 220 for 10 km, Rs 320 for 15 km, Rs 420 for 20 km, Rs 620 for 30 km, and Rs 1,020 for 50 km — leaving little room for bargaining. An additional charge ranging from Rs 50 to Rs 500 is levied for night services.
It is to be noted that recently Civil Supplies Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy wrote to Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, urging an increase in auto LPG supply at public sector outlets.
Public sector oil companies operate just about 33 outlets in Telangana, accounting for roughly 20% of the market. Private operators dominate with over 110 outlets, controlling nearly 80%— a disparity drivers say is fuelling both price variations and supply issues.