The shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has again hit the operation of around 2,000 autorickshaws in Kozhikode city.
Only one fuel station at Kundayithode now caters for these vehicles with the closure or interrupted operation of other accessible outlets.
According to drivers, the LPG station at Kundayithode is always overcrowded. “An LPG outlet at Puthiyangadi was closed two years ago. Another one near the Sarovaram biopark is always short of stock. We are heading to a big crisis,” they said.
Sajeev Kumar, a functionary of the LPG Autorickshaw Drivers’ Union, said there were around 3,000 drivers who operated LPG-powered taxi rickshaws in Kozhikode. The fuel outlets at Payyoli and Mukkom municipal limits remain the last source of supply for rural operators, thanks to reluctance on the part of government functionaries to propose more convenient dispensing units, he added.
Though the drivers have been seeking the intervention of the district administration for over five years, there has been no reasonable rise in the number of LPG outlets. Union leaders said discussions with senior government functionaries who constantly spoke for green energy were yet to evoke any result.
Though the option to use petrol is also available with the LPG variants, poor mileage and the subsequent operational loss are forcing many drivers to leave it. Some are using it only during emergency situations or to reach the LPG station for refilling purposes. The shortage of LPG has also prompted a few operators to temporarily stop service.
Drivers operating in the sector who are considering the scope of an indefinite strike alleged that leading fuel suppliers were keeping away from supply of LPG citing false claims on unsatisfactory profit. They also alleged that a majority of suppliers in the sector were interested only in dealing with the sale of compressed natural gas.
