LAHORE: Scores of motorists queued at petrol pumps on Wednesday for petrol after several pumps ran dry due to the disruption of petroleum product supplies to different filling stations of the city.

The city’s daily consumption is three million litres of petroleum products.

The petrol shortage was reported in Dharampura, Garhi Shahu, Ravi Road, Shadbagh, Shahdara and Lower Mall areas of the city.

Several motorists had to leave stations without filling the tanks of their vesicles.

They demanded the government ensure the provision of petroleum items and security for the oil tankers.

They said the closure of roads and protests would create problems for them and their businesses.

Other than pumps, scores of people remained stranded at the entry/exit points on Wednesday. The police had barricaded all such points by placing containers.

Transport between Lahore and Islamabad and other cities of the province remained suspended as the Ravi Toll Plaza was also completely closed.

The citizens faced difficulties and complained about the inordinate delay in reaching their destinations.

Due to the closure of roads, vegetables and fruits could not be delivered to markets.

Badami Bagh Traders Association President Ijaz Chaudhry told reporters that around 700 to 800 trucks carrying vegetables and fruits enter the market daily but on Wednesday only 300 were able to arrive in the city.

He said most of the vehicles were parked on roadsides due to blockade and they would have to suffer loss as the vegetables and fruit would rot due to delay.

He demanded that the authorities take measures to allow the vehicles carrying vegetables and fruit into the city.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2022