No panic buying yet but evening crowd surges at fuel stations

KOLKATA: Fuel stations in parts of Kolkata and Howrah witnessed unusually long queues during evening peak hours this week as motorists rushed to fill up tanks amid rumours of an impending petrol shortage or a steep price hike.

While the rush was not uniform, dealers said sporadic bouts of panic buying occurred during the evening commute, when people heading home stopped to refuel their vehicles. At several outlets, motorists queued up asking for "tank-full" refills, leading to serpentine lines and waiting time stretching beyond an hour in some cases.


A petroleum dealer operating outlets in the northern outskirts of Kolkata and in Howrah said the pattern became noticeable over the past few evenings.

"During peak hours, long queues suddenly start forming as most motorists insist on filling their tanks completely. It seems to be driven by rumours. We have been seeing this almost every evening," the dealer said.

The surge in demand came despite repeated assurances from oil marketing companies (OMCs) that there was no disruption in supply and that adequate fuel stocks were available.

Arun Singhania, president of West Bengal Petroleum Dealers' Association, said the overall situation remained stable and there was no evidence of widespread panic buying. "Overall, there was no panic buying. There might be a few aberrations at some pumps, but consumers showed maturity. People understand there is no reason to panic because we have adequate stock," Singhania said.

Some motorists, however, admitted they decided to top up their tanks after spotting unverified messages circulating on social media. Shankar Ghosh, a motorist from Bantra who bought petrol at the Howrah Maidan fuel station on Wednesday evening after waiting for nearly 90 minutes, said he got a message saying fuel prices could rise sharply due to supply constraints. "Many people in the queue were talking about the same message," Ghosh said.

Officials said the brief rush at fuel pumps appeared to be triggered by rumours on social media claiming a fuel shortage in the country. As the messages were being circulated widely, some motorists rushed to refuel as a precaution, creating sudden spikes in demand at some outlets. OMC officials urged citizens not to rely on unverified messages and to follow only official announcements and credible news sources.