All petrol bunks in the country will now start operating at different timings from October 15.
The bunks in urban areas will operate from 8:30am to 5:30pm, with a lunch break between 1pm and 2pm, and bunks on highways will operate from 7:30pm to 4:30am, according to the Confederation of Indian Petroleum Dealers (CIPD).
Rajiv Amaram, CIPD joint secretary said, this decision of a single shift was taken by the CIPD, considering various factors.
He said that this decision is aimed at reducing the cost of electricty, manpower and other costs related to fuel retail outlets.
"This is being done because dealers are not getting a good margin of profit out of the oil companies," he said.
However, amidst of all this, M Prabhakar Reddy, president of Andhra Pradesh Federation of Petroleum Traders (APFPT), said that the decision should be left to the dealers, and that one must not force them not to work round the clock.
He also added that in AP, including in Hyderabad and Secunderabad, the decision of a single shift will not be implemented, and that bunks will work round the clock.