Traffic curbs on Setu affect LPG supply in Kol, two districts
Times of India | 16 September 2025
Kolkata: Traffic restrictions on Vidyasagar Setu have allegedly disrupted the supply of LPG cylinders in Kolkata and Howrah and Hooghly districts.
The movement of LPG cylinder-carrying vehicles are restricted on the bridge from 6 am to midnight due to the construction of an elevated corridor in Kona, transporters and distributors alleged.
However, police have denied such claim stating that movement of emergency services, including LPG cylinders, are allowed even between noon and 4pm, besides the night schedule.
The turnaround time for a truck increased from 15-16 hours to 36 hours, impacting the supply of LPG in Howrah and Hooghly, claimed distributors and transporters. Consequently, the refill delivery time to consumers increased from 24 hours to 72-96 hours.
Vice president of the All India LPG Distributors' Federation, Bijan Bihari Biswas, said, "The traffic restrictions have impacted Indane's refill supply in the Howrah Municipal Corporation and areas up to Bandel.
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According to an Indian Oil official, the company supplies refills in Kolkata, North 24 Parganas , South 24 Parganas, Howrah, and Hooghly from its Budge Budge bottling plant. Bharat Gas and HP Gas cater to Howrah and Hooghly from their Uluberia and Panagarh plants, respectively. "We are in touch with the administration to resolve this problem," the official added. Generally, 40-50 LPG cylinder-carrying vehicles of the Indane transporters cross Hooghlydaily.
On being asked why these vehicles were not availing the Nivedita Setu, one transporter said: " The vehicles have permission to travel only via second Hooghly Bridge."