Fuel shortage leads to fuel wastage in traffic snarls
Friday, 09 January 2009, 18:37 IST
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New Delhi: Chaos took over the capital's roads Friday morning, with serpentine queues outside the few petrol pumps that had not run dry spilling over on to roads and creating major traffic snarls that forced every motorist to waste more fuel. With no end in sight to the strike by officials in public sector oil companies for more pay and by truck operators for cheaper diesel and tyres, panicky residents scrambled to stock up on fuel and vegetables. Major arterial roads like the Outer Ring Road were choked as car queues outside petrol pumps extended to the road and took up half the carriageway. That snarled up every other motorist as well, and the situation worsened because few traffic lights were working. The power situation has been abysmal since Thursday as gas-based generating plants have not been getting their supplies due to the oilmen's strike and had to be shut down. Many residents missed their regular vegetable hawkers, who are getting fewer supplies, thanks to the strike by truck operators. As a result, residents rushed to neighbourhood markets and stocked up on whatever vegetables they could find, leading to price rises all around.
Source: IANS
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