Ruptly
"A severe shortage of auto LPG disrupted rickshaw services in Bengaluru, India's southern tech hub, after the ongoing Middle East conflict hit fuel supplies. Footage filmed on Tuesday shows long queues stretching for kilometres outside fuel stations, with drivers waiting for hours amid uncertainty over supply. "Some days we stand for five hours, some days for one hour. When the load comes, we stand in the queue. But some days we stand in the queue without knowing whether the supply will come or not, and have to wait till the load comes," a driver said. "I didn't get fuel for three days - Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. I couldn't drive the vehicle. I had to repay the loans and maintain the house. I had to get my children's admission. I pleaded with the government to help me. We are pleading," he continued. Others were angered by 'inadequate' support from Karnataka authorities, who urged drivers to seek help from the central government rather than address the issue locally. "We don't know what that crazy Trump is doing. Siddharamaiah (Chief Minister of Karnataka), please speak to someone and pay attention to our problem [...] You keep telling us to ask the central government. Swami (Siddharamaiah), if we have to ask the central government, then why did you come to power?" added another driver. According to the Auto Rickshaw Drivers' Union (ARDU), the crisis has affected nearly 60 per cent of the city's auto rickshaws. Aside from the negative impact on drivers' livelihoods, passengers have also struggled to plan their travel. The energy crisis intensified as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz deepened amid the Middle East conflict that began in late February. The situation is expected to ease in the coming days after the US and Iran agreed to a temporary two-week truce early Wednesday. Iran closed the Hormuz, which carries about one-fifth of the world's oil, in response to joint US-Israeli strikes on its territory, sending global oil prices higher. Tehran has said the waterway remains open only to 'friendly and non-hostile countries'. The US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28. Iran retaliated with attacks on Israeli and US assets in the region."
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