Hyderabad: Petrol bunk offers free sanitation for autos

Hyderabad: As an additional service for their customers, the Unigas CNG bunk at Mettuguda added a new service for the ones coming to refill their autos.

The workers are seen sanitising the autos after they are refilled, surprisingly, the petrol pump is providing the service free at cost. Since the lockdown, the number of autos plying on roads has decreased considerably. Explaining about the service, Rajkumar, the supervisor at the bunk says, "To prevent further spread of corona virus, the autos have been told to alter the seating arrangements for passengers and to sanitise the vehicle frequently, but many auto drivers are unable to afford the extra expenses. So, as a part of safety protocol and to offer an additional service we thought of sanitising vehicles that come here for refilling."

"Before the lockdown the bunk used to refill 200 to 300 autos per day. However, the number has decreased to 50 and even 20 some days," he said. The bunk only charges for refilling while the sanitation expenses are not charged.

Shankar, an auto driver shares, "The additional expenses have been a burden on all of us. In these hard times, such gestures and support from the society act as a motivation to the people who are facing hardships. The sanitation which is being offered at free of cost would have made a deep hole in our pockets as others in the market are charging around Rs 1,000 which is not even our daily income now."

"The auto drivers have already been impacted because of the corona virus pandemic and very less business, so charging them for sanitatioin would be wrong. Hence we thought of doing this for them," adds Rajkumar.