Fuel price surge jolts Kerala as people brace for all-round price rise

Cab operators at the prepaid counter of Kochi International Airport indicated they would need at least a ₹2 fare increase to stay viable; they currently charge ₹36 per kilometre and rely on subsidised spare parts provided through their welfare society.

T.J. Manoharan, State Secretary of the Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association, said the fuel price rise compounds a sector already reeling from a near ₹1,000 hike in commercial cooking gas, warning of broader price pressures if fuel costs rise further.

A. Shyam of Chottanikkara said the hike was anticipated due to the West Asia conflict but delayed by Assembly elections, and criticized the practice of passing on crude oil costs to the public without corresponding reductions when crude prices fall.

M.R. Soman, area secretary of the Ernakulam District Autorickshaw Drivers Association (CITU), described rising costs and the widening gap between fares and expenses, highlighting that the last fare revision was four years ago and urging a minimum fare increase to at least ₹50.

Residents expressed anxiety about a possible rise in domestic cooking gas prices and an all-round rise in essential commodities. Sarada Joby noted the burden on common people amid ongoing price increases.

Oil companies largely relaxed the mandatory three-day stock requirement to two days, and broadly withdrew credit facilities offered to petroleum dealers. Indian Oil Corporation appeared more lenient, allowing dealers to pay for a load already delivered before receiving the next within two to three days; the other two companies insisted on advance payment.

State-owned oil companies announced a fuel price hike that came into effect at 6 a.m. on May 15, 2026. In Ernakulam and surrounding regions, diesel prices rose by ₹3.26 per litre and petrol by ₹3.16 per litre, with a possibility of a further revision within a fortnight. Anticipating the hike, many vehicle owners had filled their tanks the previous night.

The article notes the elation of finally getting a Chief Minister after a ten-day long sordid drama, an event preceding the fuel price hike.