Pune: Several petrol pumps in the city reported running out of petrol and diesel on Thursday, even though there is no actual shortage of fuel supply, said dealers. They attributed the situation to panic-buying triggered by reports of shortages in other cities, as well as a recent shift to an advance payment system for fuel pumps by oil companies.Dealers said panic buying has also been one of the key reasons behind the recent LPG shortage reported in parts of Maharashtra, as sudden bulk purchases disrupted the normal supply cycle. Petrol pump dealers said sales have surged sharply over the past two days, after reports about fuel shortages in parts of the state led to worries among motorists in Pune.“Panic buying is the main cause. Sales have shot up by almost 70% since Wednesday. There is actually no shortage, but in other cities, the same phenomenon has led to long queues and pumps running out of petrol and diesel. News channels are reporting this, and after seeing that, people in Pune have also started panic buying,” a petrol pump dealer told TOI.“Till March 16, companies were giving fuel on credit. For example, if you took product today, you could pay tomorrow or the day after. Now, what all the companies have done is that you have to pay first and then place your order. Basically, they have shifted to an advance payment system, which is also creating an issue for pumps, deterring them from buying more fuel,” he said.“Dealers were not given prior intimation, so they were not prepared to arrange such large funds. Many dealers get petrol on credit in the market, so it is difficult to bring that money back into the business overnight. Because of this, some places are facing issues, mainly in the outskirts,” he said.“Supply to petrol pumps is normal. If I pay the company and place the order, I get the product. There is no rationing from the company side. The problem is panic buying. Because of this, sales have increased by about 70%, which petrol pumps are not prepared for,” another owner said.Tankers ferrying petrol were also limited, dealers said, which caused some delay in fuel loading at pumps. “For example, if I expect my pump to sell 10,000 litres in a day and suddenly 17,000 litres gets sold, the tanker will take time to arrive. Companies and transport tankers are also prepared for normal consumption. If my pump usually needs one tanker a day and suddenly I need two, then the second tanker also has to be arranged, which takes time. In most cases, tankers are shared. For example, my tanker is used for three pumps. If all three pumps suddenly need extra trips, then it becomes difficult for one tanker to handle the demand,” the delaer explained.An oil marketing company (OMC) official said, “As far as supply is concerned, it is going as usual. In fact, supply is higher than normal. On a normal day around 130 tankers are filled, but now around 190–200 tankers are being loaded. There is no shortage of stock. Everything is running normally. We have enough supply points, stock is available, and there is no shortage from the company side.”A petrol dealer, whose outlets in Mundhwa and Keshavnagar ran out of fuel on Thursday, said, ” On Wednesday, we had enough stock for Thursday, but because of panic buying our sales almost doubled, so even Thursday’s stock got over. Petrol pump tanks have limited capacity, and when sales suddenly increase, the stock finishes fast. Supply from the company side is fine, there is no issue with supply. The problem is that people who usually fill for Rs100–200 are now filling full tanks.“Another pump owner who ran out of fuel on Thursday evening said, “Earlier, the companies used to give fuel on credit, but the system has stopped and we have to make advance payment. For one load, around Rs20 lakh gets blocked, so arranging money suddenly becomes difficult. Because of that, we could not place the order in time and get fuel.”
