THE monthly household expenditure for lakhs of commuters in the State capital has taken a severe hit as petrol prices continue their relentless upward march. In a highly distressing trend for locals, fuel costs in Bhopal have jumped for the second time within a single week. According to the latest market data, the price of petrol in the city has now climbed to a painful high of Rs 110.78 per litre on Tuesday. This fresh surge comes on the heels of a sharp spike just days ago on Friday, May 15, when Bhopal’s petrol price first broke regular boundaries. During that initial spike, the rate in the capital city witnessed a massive single-day jump of Rs 3.29, climbing rapidly from a weekly low of Rs 106.51 recorded on May 14 to Rs 109.80 per litre. Now, with the price pushing even further to Rs 110.78, city residents are left struggling to keep pace with the compounding costs of back-toback local fuel hikes.

 

The rapid, sequential price revisions have triggered widespread anxiety among the residents of Bhopal, where personal vehicle dependency is exceptionally high. For daily wage earners and middle-class families, having two steep hikes stacked together in less than a week is being viewed as a breaking point for their financial stability. “It is getting nearly impossible to manage a monthly budget now,” said Sujit, a school teacher. “Petrol in Bhopal has suddenly shot up twice in a single week. My workplace is 12 kilometres away. For a family running twowheelers for daily chores, this continuous local rise translates into an immediate burden of hundreds of extra rupees every month. Echoing similar concerns, Seeta highlighted how these continuous city spikes disrupt a normal life. “As students on a fixed allowance, every rupee matters. We already car-pool to save money. The ripple effect of this double fuel hike is already causing deep distress among small businesses, logistical operators, and delivery executives across the state capital. Ghanshyam, who operates a loading auto-rickshaw near Ashoka Garden, expressed panic over his rapidly shrinking profit margins.