Commuters find themselves at the receiving end
Commuters in the city faced a lot of inconvenience on Tuesday as most of the petrol pumps went on a flash strike in protest against the government crackdown on the petrol pumps that cheated their customers. However, the strike was later called off.
Uninformed commuters could be seen waiting in a long queue at the Indian Oil refilling station in Vipul Khand, Gomti Nagar . A group of taxi drivers also stood there in the hope of getting to the dispensing machine. Drivers of cars regulated the traffic flow near the petrol station.
“There is no police aid to guide the traffic over here,” said one Prem Shankar Yadav, 33.
RC Gupta, a realtor who had to reach Delhi for a prior business engagement by 2pm, said, “I have been waiting for almost two hours now and yet there is no sign of relief. I will be able to reach there by 7pm now. There should be strict action against those involved in the fuel scam. The truth is that the previous government gave wrongdoers an opportunity to steal and deceive but this government is trying to put them behind the bar and so we are facing the problem.”
“I had no clue about the strike. All the most petrol pumps I know in Hazratganj are shut down and I have been waiting here for the past 45 minutes. I don’t understand why most of the petrol pumps are protesting against something found wrong,” said a car owner Anoop Mishra.
“There should have been a prior notice in this regard,” said Sudhir Tandon, a travel agency owner.
Aditya Pratap Singh, a law student of Allahabad University, had altogether a more distressing story to tell, “I saw on Monday night that all petrol pumps were shut there and I arrived in Lucknow on my bike in the morning, trying to find one functioning pump station and eventually I arrived here. However, I have been waiting for the last 2 hours. There is utter chaos and the government is not concerned about the plight of its public.”
Akash Jindal, a biker, said, “There are more than 800 people here, sweating and waiting for their turn and barely 10 policemen to manage. I had my college at 11pm and I have already missed my first three classes.”
“Whatever is happening is for a right cause. We will have to bear it,” said a shopkeeper.
Sanjay Singhal, 44-year-old businessman, said while getting his tank filled, “It is a matter of high level corruption.” Another businessman Shashank Upadhay opined, “It is an all corporate motivated strike.”
Sumitra Joshi, a homemaker, said, “My daughter is waiting for me in the kindergarten while I’m waiting for my turn here under scorching heat.”
I have been waiting for almost two hours and yet there is no sign of relief. I will be able to reach there (venue of business meeting) by 7pm now. PREM SHANKAR YADAV, commuter