Oil tankers strike : 45% increase in fares ends strike

Queues remain as strike ends

HYDERABAD/KARACHI:

The Oil Tankers Association called off its strike after a 45 per cent increase in their fares was decided when they met the governor in Karachi on Wednesday.

Despite this, residents of Karachi and Hyderabad still had a hard time, waiting in long queues outside petrol stations even after they reopened on Thursday.

One after the other, 30 petrol pumps began to close in Hyderabad on Wednesday night.

By Thursday evening only four stations eked out the depleting stock of petrol.

Most residents were oblivious to the strike and found no luck when they tried to fill their vehicle’s fuel tanks because only a few stations actually had petrol.

“Our orders for fuel supply have been booked and we will get deliveries by late Thursday night,” said Sindh Petrol Pump Owners Association’s Haji Iftikhar Khan.

He owns one of the largest petrol stations in Hyderabad at the Latifabad Unit 7 intersection.

The largest stations have a capacity to store up to 20,000 litres, a stock which lasts no more than two days.

“The strike did not only disturb residents in search of fuel, but station owners and employees were also affected,” added Khan.

According to Khan, a meeting was called two days ago to discuss the problem and attendees recommended that the government accept the tanker association’s demands.

He hoped stations would by resupplied by late Thursday night or early Friday morning.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6^th, 2011.