Pumps out of stock
The situation at the filling stations was worse than Thursday’s in tricity. The small number of pumps that were supplying fuel till Thursday, too, ran dry on Friday morning. Long queues stretching up to a few hundred metres could be seen at the pumps. By afternoon, only six of the ten-odd pumps of Hindustan Petroleum, which did not join the strike, had stocks left. “No pump can last for long in such crises,” said Amanpreet Singh, general secretary of the Chandigarh Petroleum Dealers Association.

Little relief as BP calls off strike
There was little improvement in the situation after Bharat Petroleum called off the strike in the evening. It only brought people out of their homes to the BP filling stations. These pumps too ran dry soon as the supply of petrol — there was no diesel on Friday — was inadequate. “We had ordered 12,000 litres of petrol but received only 4,000 litres. The next supply will reach tomorrow,” said Manpreet Waraich, manager at the Sector 17 petrol pump. There were strict orders from the Administration not to supply fuel in bottles or containers.

Less traffic on roads
The oil strike affected the traffic volume in the tricity as the residents preferred to stay indoors or opted for a ‘car-pool’. Even during the peak office hours, the travel distance that usually takes around half an hour could be covered in much less time.

Public transport, LPG not hit
The public transport system, including Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) and Haryana Roadways buses, was not affected by the strike. With a daily consumption of around 30,000 litres diesel, the 417 CTU buses running in the tricity has adequate stock for another two days. The Haryana Roadways had made arrangements with HP for the supply of diesel. LPG supply, too, remained normal. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) officials at Chandigarh said the supply was sufficient for five more days.

Autorickshaws mint money
Autorickshaw drivers did a brisk business on Friday by charging more from the passengers. Some even demanded double the usual fares. “Even we have to cover our cost because we have bought fuel in black at higher prices,” one of them reasoned.

Normalcy likely by afternoon
With IOC officers, too, calling off their strike late in the evening, the situation is expected to be normal by Saturday afternoon. “The supply will start reaching the fuel stations in the morning. By afternoon, the situation will be under control,” said Amanpreet Singh.