Petrol@100 Fuels Angst And Despair

It’s a luxury now: Many Choose To Fill Up For Immediate Needs Only

- Sakshi Chand

New Delhi: From filling a full tank earlier to now refuelling only for the immediate need, people have ways of coping with the rising petrol price, which breached the Rs-100 mark on Wednesday. While some commuters said they now think twice before taking out their car, others now carefully consider the distance they need to travel and the amount they need to spend on fuel. “The government needs to think about the common man, many of whom have lost jobs during the lockdown,” said Vicky, who bought a litre of petrol for his two-wheeler because he couldn’t afford more having lost his job recently.

TOI visited six petrol pumps in central, Lutyens’ and south Delhi to understand how the common man was coping with the unprecedented prices. At Delhi Gate, Afzal Ansari came to fill fuel worth Rs 500 and said, “I had two cars but had to sell one because it was no longer affordable to run both. The ever-rising fuel prices does not give us the pleasure of having two vehicles at home. It’s after a month that I took out the car today because we can’t drive it as much as we used to.” Ansari has a business in fabrics and finds it difficult to carry his wares in the Delhi Metro and feels the need for a car when travelling.