Scam that is getting common at petrol pumps; be careful while refuelling

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Fuel expenses are one of the most expensive expenses of a month's salary. As the prices of petrol and diesel are skyrocketing, people are switching to electric vehicles day by day. To make things worse, a scam is being done by some fuel pumps in the meantime. There are pumps in Kerala that make a profit by extorting people who come to fill fuel.

One such incident took place in Thiruvananthapuram Vizhinjam. An ambulance continued its journey with a patient after filling fuel for Rs 500 from the pump at Mukkola, Vizhinjam. However, after a while, the vehicle ran out of fuel. Alleging irregularities, the locals blockaded the pump at night. The huge fraud came to light when the officials of the Legal Metrology Department arrived. Only two rupees worth of fuel was filled after taking 500 rupees.

After confirming the irregularity, the authorities locked and sealed the pump. The ambulance was going to the city hospital with a person who was injured in an accident on the bypass road. The driver says that he ran out of fuel and the ambulance broke down on the road when he reached Enchakkal. On checking the fuel bill, it was realized that only 0.02 litre worth of Rs.2.14 was filled. The driver went to the pump, enquired and then filed a complaint after transferring the patient to another ambulance.