As the fuel prices rose to an all-time high, motorists, particularly autorickshaw drivers, feel it is very difficult to make both ends meet, as they are left with a nominal amount after deducting the expenses.
On the other hand, refilling station owners are unhappy with the gradual decline in sales due to high diesel price in Telangana while the price in Maharashtra is ₹2.50 less per litre, due to which trucks and all heavy vehicles coming from Maharashtra are filling the tanks there itself.
As on today diesel rate in the city is ₹72.27 per litre which is an all-time high while the petrol price is ₹79.8. The rise is deceptive and people do not feel the burden since it is adjusted on a daily basis.
“We have lost 50 % of our business in the last one-and-a-half year as the Maharashtra government has, very smartly, reduced the diesel price by ₹2.50 while keeping the petrol price high. Generally, the impact of petrol price is lesser as long-distance travellers use only diesel vehicles,” says P.R. Somani, chairman, Sarang Enterprises, which also owns fuel stations.
“Apart from the steep rise in fuel prices, the number of passengers taking autorickshaws have reduced due to the summer heat, badly affecting our daily income. Besides, the number of autorikshaws has gone up abnormally over a period of time,” says Ahmed, an autowallah, adding that he has cut down the per day sorties.
Petrol price in Sangareddy town stood at an all-time high of ₹79.15 per litre followed by diesel price at ₹71.67. “The petrol and diesel prices are growing abnormally and it has been hitting our revenues adversely. We are unable to meet the costs and customers who travel in our autos are not ready to pay the variable day-in day-out,” said Yadagiri, an auto-driver who runs a share auto in the town.
The steep hike in fuel prices evoked sharp reaction from vehicle users particularly autorickshaw drivers who are struggling to eke out a living, owing to the cascading effect of the alleged upward revision of fuel prices by the State-owned oil companies.
If the same trend of fuel price hike continued, we would be compelled to take up daily wage labour to support our families, he said, demanding that the Centre check regular upward revision of fuel prices by the public sector oil firms, to alleviate their woes.
