HP pumps run dry as they wait for software upgrade

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPC) petrol pumps in India have been experiencing a shortage in oil supply since the beginning of the month. This shortage is due to software programming updates being conducted by the company.

On Tuesday, some HPC petrol pumps, including the one at Bittan Market, were closed. Customers who arrived there were informed that there was no fuel available and were advised to go to another petrol pump. However, the adjacent Indian Oil Company petrol pump remained open and quickly became crowded as customers redirected from the HPC pump started queuing there.

R.S. Shrivastava, who had his car’s oil tank filled at the nearby petrol pump, shared his thoughts on the situation. “As I saw the adjacent petrol pump closed, I thought there was some problem. Supply crunch or a strike by the oil tankers or some other reason. But the petrol pump nearby was open, and although there was a larger crowd than usual, there was no problem refueling my car.”

Ajay Singh, the President of the MP Petrol Pump Dealers’ Association, also operates an HPC outlet. When asked about the shortage in petrol/diesel supply in the city, he explained, “There is an issue at HPC retail outlets. The company has undertaken software programming updates, which began on July 1 and will continue until July 5. Without billing, petrol/diesel cannot be dispensed from the depots. However, the company informed us in advance about this exercise and advised us to store oil during this period. They have continued the supply to the best of their abilities, but there may be problems at high-selling points, as you have observed.”

In the city, there are a total of 156 petrol pumps, with 48 belonging to HPC. In areas beyond New Market up to Trilanga, the number of HPC petrol pumps appears to be equivalent to those of the Indian Oil Company and other public sector oil companies. This makes the impact of the fuel supply shortfall more noticeable in these areas compared to other localities.