An indefinite strike by oil tanker operators in Jammu and Kashmir is threatening to bring road transport to a standstill with almost 70 percent of the petrol pumps running out of supply Tuesday.

The state government held hectic parleys with the operators, who have been on a strike since Saturday to protest the ban on commercial vehicles older than 15 years, but a deadlock continued.

According to transport authorities all petrol pumps in Kathua and Udhampur districts were dry.

In Jammu 95 percent fuel stations were out of stock by Monday evening and in Srinagar five out of the 20 petrol pumps were dry.

The tanker operators associations are protesting the Oct 28 notification issued by the Jammu and Kashmir State Transport Authority banning commercial vehicles older than 15 years, after a directive from the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

The public transport system was almost on the verge of collapse in Jammu with 27 of the 35 petrol pumps in Jammu city dry.

The state-owned Road Transport Corporation was mobilising its buses but there was no fuel.

An official said there was very little fuel to run even the minimum administrative machinery. The official cars were also running out of fuel.

The court order of a ban on old commercial vehicles into cities came on a public interest litigation filed by the Kashmir Consumers Forum.

The government notification in pursuance of the High Court order made it mandatory that no such vehicle would be allowed to ply even on the rural roads.

Though the ban comes into effect on Dec 28, the tanker operators have been on a strike urging the government to go in appeal before the Supreme Court against the high court order.

With no signs of transporters budging from their demand for withdrawal of the ban, the state could be heading for an oil crisis.