If the impasse over Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buying diesel at retail outlets is not resolved soon, 6,803 buses will likely queue up at the city petrol stations, threatening to cause traffic snarls.
To cut operational costs, BMTC has been buying diesel from retail outlets where it is available at ₹88 per litre. The bulk purchase rate is pegged at a whopping ₹119 per litre. Fuel retailers now refill BMTC buses at depots supplying diesel in tankers, to which the oil companies have now taken objection to threatening to cancel retailer’s licences. This has created a situation where either BMTC has to buy fuel in bulk at a higher cost or refill fuel at petrol stations, which would cause traffic jams.
B. R. Ravikanthe Gowda, Joint Commissioner (Traffic), Bengaluru, said if 6,803 buses queue up at fuel stations across the city, it would throw traffic out of gear in areas where these buses queue up at fuel outlets. “Our BMTC city buses cannot even get into several fuel stations as the driveway is narrow. It will be a traffic nightmare. We hope the issue is resolved soon. We will make our arrangements to handle the fallout of the impasse, if it is not resolved,” he added.
