Hyd’bad faces CNG crunch; auto, cab services hit hard

Hyderabad: A shortfall in Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) supply has led to long queues of vehicles outside fuel stations across the city, leaving cab drivers, auto-rickshaw operators and gig workers struggling to make ends meet. With daily earnings hit hard, drivers have expressed frustration over poor planning and inadequate supply. Officials said the shortage is due to reduced availability of natural gas.

On Tuesday, several CNG fuel stations across the city witnessed serpentine queues of vehicles, including cabs, auto-rickshaws and private cars. Many drivers reported waiting for hours to refill, while traffic congestion increased near fuel stations due to the rush.

According to the Drivers’ Union, the city has been facing a severe CNG crunch for the past 10 days. Union members alleged that the situation has worsened steadily, with reduced supply affecting almost every station. Despite the shortage, drivers claimed that some fuel stations were charging an extra amount to provide CNG, adding to their financial burden.

Across Greater Hyderabad, dozens of vehicles were seen waiting outside nearly 50 CNG stations, most of which reported depleted stocks within hours of supply. Cabs and auto-rickshaws, which rely entirely on CNG for daily operations, were the worst affected.

“The government promoted CNG usage to protect the environment, but failed to ensure uninterrupted supply. Several vehicles have been waiting since morning. I managed to refill only after standing in the queue for three hours,” said Naveen Yadav, a cab driver from King Kothi.

Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) president Shaik Salauddin said that CNG was unavailable at several stations across Hyderabad, causing severe hardship to drivers.

He said auto and cab drivers were being forced to wait in queues for six to eight hours, resulting in loss of income, traffic congestion and extreme mental stress.

“Gig and platform workers cannot be made to suffer due to administrative failures. Immediate steps must be taken to resolve the issue,” Salauddin said. He further alleged that despite the shortage, some CNG stations were illegally collecting an extra Rs 10 per vehicle per refill, calling it unacceptable exploitation of workers already affected by reduced earnings.

Salauddin said the situation reflected poor planning, inadequate supply and lack of effective monitoring by the authorities. He urged the Telangana Civil Supplies Department and the Legal Metrology Department to intervene immediately, ensure adequate CNG availability, prevent illegal extra charges and take strict action against erring operators.

According to official records, Hyderabad has nearly 30,000 CNG-powered auto-rickshaws and around 2,000 CNG-fitted cars. A dealer at a CNG outlet in Chikkadpally said daily supply has fallen sharply. “We receive around 1,200 kg to 1,500 kg per day. Demand is much higher, but supply has been reduced by nearly 20 per cent compared to previous years. At some stations, stocks run out within three to four hours,” he said.