Delhiites feel pinch of rising fuel prices

Consumers are feeling the pinch of rise in price of fuel with many left with minimal public transport option available as petrol prices have crossed Rs 100 per litre mark in the National Capital. Bizz Buzz spoke with some of the Delhi residents to know how the recent spike in diesel and petrol prices have affected their daily lives.

29-year-old Medleena Kumar, a resident of Vasant Kunj, says that frequent hike in diesel prices dissuades her from taking long commute, especially for outstation expeditions.

"I bought a diesel SUV three years ago with the intention to travel as I like, and avoid public transport altogether. When I got this car initially, diesel prices were around Rs 70/litre now it has come to Rs 89.9/litre. I can't fill only three or four litres in the tank and expect it to run for a whole week," Kumar said.

As of Thursday, petrol price in Delhi stands at Rs 100.56 per litre, while diesel is available for Rs 89.62. With some opting to avoid taking cars and bikes for daily commute, Delhi residents are unhappy with the public transport system with metros and DTC buses running with half capacity to maintain social distancing norm. Prakash Sinha, a 54-year-old government employee, says that during the second lockdown, which lasted for approximately 83 days in the national capital, he could not use the vehicle and had to invest heavily on the maintenance of his four wheelers. Getting back to daily life post-lockdown, however, has not been easy, since the rise in prices of fuel is "pushing him to take public transport".

"Taking public transport has become challenging since Delhi metro is running with lesser capacity. I either have to shell out a minimum of Rs 200 a day on fuel or else wait outside metro stations in long queue. I've to take metro from Rajiv Chowk, which gets maximum number of commuters during peak office hours. Getting inside metro itself takes over 30 minutes sometimes," Sinha said while expressing his views on the rising fuel prices.