Street food stalls, small eateries shut down due to LPG crisis in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: The streets of Bengaluru, once bustling with street food vendors and their pushcarts and food trucks, are now eerily quiet. The reason: a severe shortage of commercial gas cylinders. The city’s approximately 45,000 street food vendors are struggling to stay afloat, with many forced to shut down their businesses.

The vendors, who relied on weekly or bi-weekly supplies of LPG cylinder to cook and serve affordable meals, are now facing an existential crisis. The shortage, triggered by the Middle East conflict, has disrupted their lives. Every passing day, vendors are shutting down their pushcarts, leaving many without a steady income.

The affected vendors are pleading for help, stating that they cannot survive without access to commercial gas cylinders. “If we can’t run our stalls, we have no livelihood”, they say. The situation is dire, with around 15,000 street food stalls already closed.

“It’s been about a month since we got a commercial LPG cylinder and we are managing with firewood. Some food stalls around have already closed down. Of our four branches, we have shut down two and we have also trimmed our menu”, said Arman, the owner of an eatery.

The vendors are urging authorities to allocate cylinders to small eateries, not just large hotels. They’re seeking a solution to the crisis, hoping to revive their businesses and get back to serving the city’s residents. The situation remains uncertain, with vendors anxiously waiting for relief.