This is not the first time that V. Adimoolam, a regular cab operator from Chennai whirrs past the petrol stations in Nagari to reach similar stations across the Tamil Nadu border. There are several cab drivers, and indeed, individual travellers too, who make it a point to fill their tanks on the Tamil Nadu side.
Tirupati-Chennai Highway, the high-density traffic route, is a silent witness to this ‘cross border trade’. As the price of petrol crosses ₹120 and diesel ₹106 in Andhra Pradesh, travellers as well as the residents of the bordering Tirupati and Chittoor districts are found increasingly moving to the contiguous Tamil Nadu to buy fuel.
