Motorists top up amid fuel anxiety in Gujarat

Ahmedabad/Surat: Barely months after Gujarat witnessed panic buying at petrol pumps in March, Thursday saw the build-up of a similar wave of anxiety. By late evening, unsubstantiated rumours of a possible fuel shortage triggered long queues at petrol pumps, especially in Ahmedabad and Surat, despite there being no official indication of a supply disruption.

The day began in Ahmedabad with most customers unusually insisting on topping up their fuel tanks, said petroleum dealers. By evening, the rumours grew stronger, and serpentine queues formed at fuel stations in the Satellite, Jodhpur, and Paldi areas.

Shreeja Mehta, a professional from Ahmedabad, was swept into this sudden frenzy while returning home from work on Thursday evening. “I had to refuel my car en route from SG Road to Maninagar. I visited two fuel stations, and both had extremely long queues. Clearly, people had panicked,” she said.

In Surat, the situation had been building since Tuesday, when rumours of a fuel price hike and reduced availability began circulating. By Wednesday, queues were already visible at a few petrol stations. The rush intensified significantly on Thursday as more motorists joined the crowd, fearing they might not be able to refuel later.

Sources in the distribution network said supply to several petrol pumps was temporarily affected due to repair work on a fuel pipeline connecting Surat to a nearby town. This disrupted deliveries at some outlets and added to uncertainty in the supply chain. Combined with reports of reduced availability at certain pumps, the disruption further fuelled panic buying among residents.

Fuel station owners in Surat said sales have increased sharply in recent weeks, driven largely by rising public anxiety. According to pump operators, fuel sales have increased by about 22% over the past month. They cautioned that continued panic buying could further strain local inventories, even where regular supply arrangements remain in place.

Estimates from petroleum dealers in Ahmedabad also suggested that the average daily fuel offtake had increased by 20% across various dealerships. “Companies are supplying fuel strictly based on previous sales patterns. Supply is being rationed to ensure availability across locations. Moreover, dealers need to make a full advanced payment to purchase their stock from oil companies. In such a scenario, many smaller outlets without deeper pockets are unable to procure fuel. As a result, whenever there is comparatively less stock at any outlet, rumours spread quickly and people begin crowding nearby pumps. That further fuels panic,” said Padmajay Rathod, a petroleum dealer from Ahmedabad.

Meanwhile, customers who visit fuel stations for refuelling also tend to make higher-than-normal purchases. “Customers are specifically asking for full tanks instead of buying fuel in routine quantities or based on need. Some are buying marginally high. This has led to an increase in daily sales at an outlet level,” said Mayur Mehta, another petroleum dealer.

“People are worrying unnecessarily. There is no shortage of fuel,” said Dhiren Tamakuwala, secretary of the Surat and Tapi District Petrol Pump Dealer Association.