Hyderabad: Fuel sellers heave a sigh of relief as sales pick up

Hyderabad: The petrol bunks in Greater Hyderabad limits are breathing a sigh of relief with sales picking up considerably from the last few weeks. While other trades and businesses are still reeling under the impact of corona pandemic and yet to revive, the petrol bunks sales are zooming upwards with each passing month.

According to G Jagadeesh, proprietor of a petrol bunk in Secunderabad, sales have picked up in city limits big time compared to the situation a few months ago. "If we compare pre-Covid scenario and present, the sales saw around 70 to 80 per cent increase. In the upcoming weeks, it will grow further," he said.

G Rajashekar Reddy, who owns two petrol bunks in Shivarampally near Aramghar crossroad, stated that sales were hampered during lockdown and also in the following months until restrictions on inter-state movements were lifted.

"Diesel sales were low compared to petrol sales as trucks, lorries, cabs and private tourist buses were not on the road due to various restrictions. However, sales picked up once all States slowly started relaxing them one after the other," he added.

Although, fuel sales picked up in bunks in the heart of the city, the ones on the peripherals of the city show a different picture. Here the business is between 50 to 70 per cent. Here much of the fuel recharge is done by vehicles moving to and fro from districts and the state capital. As vehicles are not plying on these routes like before, sales, especially diesel, are less compared to fuel.

It can be recalled that petrol bunks were exempted from shutdown and were kept open even during lockdown as they were included in essential categories list. However, the time period of lockdown from March end to June was not of much use as far as sales were concerned. The sales were just 10 to 20 per cent as people remained indoors.

Petrol bunks, where heavy rush is seen during day time, which used to get fuel load in tankers to refill underground tanks once or twice in a day had to change the routine because of low sales. Petrol tankers were ordered once or twice a week, but now the situation has improved.

Yadagiri, who works in a petrol bunk on the city outskirts, stated that tankers frequency has now increased. From weekly once or twice, we are ordering petrol tankers once in two days.