Fuel shock ignites rage
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Petrol price hike, from Rs 69.55 to Rs 77.53 in Chennai, the steepest ever till date, has come as a rude shock to consumers leaving most of them concerned about if they have to continue using their vehicles.
Fumed over the hike, people rushed to petrol stations to fill up their petrol tanks, but shocked to find most of the petrol pumps in the city going dry within hours of the announcement on Wednesday evening.
An irate group, mostly two wheeler riders staged a road roko in front of a petrol station at Trustpuram, protesting against the “closure” of the petrol station, bringing traffic on the busy Kodambakkam high road came to a grinding halt for about 20 minutes. Police had a tough time pacifying the agitated people and restoring the traffic.
Serpentine queues at most petrol pumps across the city was a common sight with people clamouring to fill up their petrol tanks before the revised price hike comes into effect from midnight, while almost all the petrol stations in the suburbs downed shutters soon after the announcement.
This is the highest and 18th rate revision of the UPA government in its second term. Though the last petrol price revision was in December 1, 2011, the previous steepest hike was in March 2, 2011 that pushed up petrol prices by Rs 5.29.
Though the petrol price increase was on cards with the rupee continuing its free fall against the US dollar, this sharp hike drew flak from all quarters.
Regular vehicle users are concerned about the big hole that the hike may burn in their pockets. “If 60 per cent of salary goes up in filling up petrol, what will I be left with,” wonders Mr S. Suresh, working with a courier firm.
People like Ms Nalini who take the vehicle for work are the most worried lot as they are left wondering about the “ ridiculous rate that the autowallahs will quote tomorrow morning”.
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