Petrol and diesel prices climbed up by over 10 paise per litre on Tuesday after a gap of 18 days.
Fuel outlets in the city sold petrol at ₹92.55 per litre and diesel at ₹85.9 per litre. In Sankagiri, it was ₹92.86 per litre of petrol and ₹86.35 per litre of diesel.
Dealers said demand, especially for diesel, had come down after May 1. “People are afraid to step out of their homes due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases. Movement of heavy vehicles, too, has been affected due to the lockdown in other States,” a retailer said.
Another retailer said the decrease in sale volume was around 10%-15%, and it had been falling over the last 15 days. “We have witnessed a reduction of about 20% sales in auto LPG too,” he added.
Consumers questioned the rationale behind the price hike when international crude prices remained more or less the same. “At a time like this, an increase in fuel prices is uncalled for,” said M. Manikantan of Velachery.
