Motorists thronged petrol pump stations across Vijayawada from the early hours of Sunday following widespread rumours of an impending shortage of diesel and petrol. Long queues began forming as early as dawn, with anxious vehicle owners rushing to refuel amid fears of supply disruption. The sudden surge in demand led to congestion at several fuel outlets, with traffic spilling onto main roads and inconveniencing commuters.
As users made a beeline to refuel their vehicles, several petrol stations ran out of stock by noon on Sunday, forcing the management to put up "no stock" boards and close down the outlets until the oil marketing companies deliver the next indent.
As motorists scrambled in numbers, petrol filling stations across the city rolled out rationing of petrol and diesel to vehicles, filling Rs 200 and Rs 300 petrol for two-wheelers and Rs 500 diesel for cars to ensure that the stocks last and tackle the unexpected surge in vehicles.
"It took me around one hour to fill petrol for my bike at the petrol station run by Vijayawada city police near Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation Stadium on MG Road. Since it was Sunday and the fear of possible prolonged supply disruption of petrol made me rush to the petrol pump to refill petrol for my two-wheeler," says Durga Rao, a resident of Krishna Lanka.
Many motorists were seen filling their tanks, while some even carried extra containers to stock fuel. Pump operators struggled to manage the crowds and maintain orderly queues as tempers occasionally flared due to delays.
Also, panic buying appeared to be driven largely by word-of-mouth and social media speculation that there could be an overnight significant increase in fuel prices owing to the prolonged West Asia conflict.
