Kolkata, March 20 -- Auto LPG prices rose by Rs 8 to Rs 70.68 per litre on Friday, just 10 days after the previous increase from Rs 62.68. Key pump closures have left auto drivers spending hours in queues, cutting earnings and raising concerns of fare hikes for passengers.

Auto availability has dropped across the city and adjoining areas, including the north and south suburbs, Bidhannagar, Howrah, and North and South 24-Parganas.

Services on several routes have been curtailed, forcing commuters to wait longer or pay more.

Informal fare hikes have been reported after the earlier revision. Unions denied any formal change but indicated rising costs may be passed on to passengers.

"Fuel prices have risen by Rs 13 per litre in a short time. Running on the old fare is no longer possible. We are spending more time in queues than on the road," said an auto driver on the Rajarhat-Kaikhali route.

Taraknath Saha, on the Dum Dum-Nagerbazar route, said many autos were off the roads. "We are moving from one place to another just to find gas," he said.

Samaresh Bhattacharya, on the Beleghata-Sealdah route, said he queued from Thursday evening but failed to get fuel and returned on Friday morning. "Earlier it took two hours; now the entire day is going in queues," he said.

Supply disruptions have been reported at outlets in Maniktala and Bangur amid disputes over separate queues for local drivers, a system already introduced at Rajarhat Chowmatha.

At the City Centre pump in Salt Lake, stocks ran out by 12 noon on Friday. Near Bengal Chemical, queues stretched along the EM Bypass and up to Purwanchal in Kankurgachi, with waits of up to eight to nine hours. At least three conflicts over queue priority led to a shutdown of around two hours before police enforced a single queue system.

Amarnath Pathak, manager of the auto LPG pump near Bengal Chemical, said around 14,000 litres received on Thursday ran out shortly after midnight. "With other nearby pumps shut, the entire load has shifted here," he said.

Passengers reported fewer autos and irregular services. "Autos are not available when needed, and we are already paying more," said Megha Shaw in Salt Lake.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.