Forget long queues at fuel stations! You may soon get home delivery of petrol and diesel

Government is considering a plan for home delivery of petroleum products to consumers if they make a pre-booking to cut long queues at fuel stations.

New Delhi: Government is considering a plan for home delivery of petroleum products to consumers if they make a pre-booking, the oil ministry tweeted on Friday.

As many as 3.5 crore people currently visit 59,595 petrol pumps in the country for buying auto fuel. Often, long queues are witnessed at petrol pumps during peak hours, leading to congestion on roads.

“Options being explored where petro products may be door delivered to consumers on pre booking” @dpradhanbjp (1/2) — Petroleum Ministry (@PetroleumMin) April 21, 2017

The ministry further said that the move is aimed at cutting long queues at fuel stations.

“This would help consumers avoid spending excessive time and long queues at fuel stations” @dpradhanbjp (2/2) — Petroleum Ministry (@PetroleumMin) April 21, 2017

India consumed 23.8 million tons of petrol and 76 million tons of diesel in 2016-17 fiscal. This was higher than 21.8 million tons of petrol and 74.6 million tons of diesel consumed in the previous 2015-16 financial year.

Additionally, come May 1, you will have to pay new price for petrol and diesel every day in sync with international rates, much like what happens in most advanced markets.

To begin with, daily revision of fuel prices will be implemented in Puducherry and Vizag in southern India, Udaipur in the West, Jamshedpur in the East and Chandigarh in the North.

State fuel retailers currently revise rates on 1st and 16th of every month based on average international price of the fuel in the preceding fortnight and currency exchange rate.

Instead of using fortnightly average, pump rates will reflect daily movement in international oil prices and rupee- US dollar fluctuations.