PESHAWAR, Dec 1: Following reduction in the prices of petroleum products the owners of various filling stations in Frontier province have stopped selling fuel to motorists causing serious problems to the people.

In the provincial metropolis, boards have been put at the entry points of filling stations telling the consumers that fuel is not available. Long queues of vehicles were seen on Monday in the cantonment area, where a lone filling station was selling petrol. Motorcyclists from the nook and corner of the city were dragging their bikes towards the cantonment area.

Even the PSO stations were selling a limited quantity of petrol as the operators said they faced shortage of oil and fresh supply was yet to arrive. They blamed the multinational companies for not supplying fuel to the consumers.

An official of Petroleum Dealers Association said that it was the duty of government to take action against those who had stopped supply of oil fearing that they would suffer a loss due to reduction in its prices.

Motorists said that government was not serious in minimising the miseries of people otherwise the district administration would have raided the fuel stations and sealed the petrol pumps in the city.

District Coordination Office Sahibzada Mohammad Anees, when contacted, told Dawn that he directed the officials concerned and they conducted raids on various fuelling stations and registered cases against owners of three petrol pumps in the city.

The DCO said after conducting raids the situation had improved and availability of oil had been ensured in the evening.

Our Correspondent from D.I.K Khan adds: Due to non-availability of petrol the transporters and motorcyclists blocked Dera-Bannu Road at Kotli Imam Hussain and staged protest demonstration against the owners of filling stattions.

People faced serious problems owing to the fuel shortage and public transport also remained very thin on the main routes.

Meanwhile, reports of oil shortage were also received from Batkhela, Dir and Swat.