HYDERABAD: The city witnessed long queues at petrol pumps for the second day on Wednesday, as fears of a fuel shortage lingered despite repeated assurances from the govt and oil companies of adequate stocks.Police were deployed at several outlets, with barricades set up to manage crowds as motorists thronged bunks across the city. The rush, many said, was triggered by ‘no stock’ boards at petrol pumps and images of serpentine queues on social media.Motorists pointed to misinformation as the key driver. Mohd Shadab, a daily wager from LB Nagar, said, “People are seeing queues everywhere and thinking petrol is getting over. ‘No stock’ boards at some pumps has caused panic. Authorities should ration fuel instead of allowing full tanks.”At multiple locations, customers were seen carrying cans and bottles to stock fuel for generators and other uses, intensifying pressure on supply. Office-goers, too, were caught in the chaos.Harshal Gokhe, a private bank employee, said, “I came during lunch break but got stuck. With the financial yearend, I can’t afford delays, but the rush made me think petrol might run out.” For small businesses, the impact was immediate. Karthik Yadav, a dairy supplier in Secunderabad, said, “I’ve been waiting over an hour. Petrol is essential for milk deliveries, but they aren’t allowing cans due to the rush.”B Ramakrishna, waiting at Rasoolpura, added, “After watching videos on social media, I rushed to the bunk. Khairtabad was too crowded, Begumpet had no fuel, so I came to Rasoolpura.”Raji Reddy, chief rationing officer of consumer affairs, civil supplies department, said oil firms were instructed to curb sale in bottles and ensure smooth distribution.Commuters faced long waits and surge in fares on ride-hailing platforms on Wednesday as panic buying disrupted transport services. Many said booking rides through aggregator apps became difficult over the past two days, with drivers either cancelling trips or demanding higher fares. Adil Khan (24) said: “Usually, I get charged between Rs 100 and Rs 120 from Mehdipatnam to IT corridor. But today the same route showed Rs 150. Even after agreeing to that, I could not get a ride.” While auto drivers said the situation was linked to availability of gas, fuel station owners said panic buying has led to worsening the problem. Sathi Reddy, secretary of Telangana Auto Unions, said drivers are struggling due to rising fuel costs and stagnant fares.
