Mumbai, Sep 18 (IANS) Vehicle owners waited for hours to get fuel while taxis opted to stay off the roads during non-peak hours Monday as an indefinite strike by petrol pump owners protesting against high sales tax began to impact India's financial capital.

About 2,200 petrol and compressed natural gas (CNG) stations run by members of the Federation of All Maharashtra Petrol Dealers' Association (Fampeda) began their strike midnight Sunday in protest against the levy of 34 per cent sales tax by the state government. Petrol pumps run by the oil companies, however, were functioning.

The Mumbai Taxi Owners Association warned communters that both long distance and shuttle services will be badly affected if the strike continues.

"Stocks of fuel vanished before the pumps opened Monday morning. With no solution in sight, the situation is going to get worse with every passing day. We do not know if we will be able to bring out our vehicle from Tuesday as most of the petrol pumps in the city have already run dry," said Prasanta Kundu, an IT executive.

"It will be commuters like me who travel in the non-peak hours at night who will be the worst hit by the strike. I am rushing home earlier today as I may not get a taxi from my Nariman Point office to Churchgate station," said Vidyut Kumar, a senior editor with a business magazine.

"I don't think I will be able to ply my taxi tomorrow. The pumps have already closed today and we cannot afford to shell out Rs.50 per litre. The government should take the demands of the dealers into consideration," said Sunil Kamle, a taxi driver.

Meanwhile, Petroleum Minister Murli Deora Monday appealed to petrol dealers in Maharashtra to withdraw their indefinite strike.

He said he had raised the issue with the Maharashtra government and also facilitated a meeting of Fampeda representatives with Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.

Urging the dealers to ensure that customers' interest is given top priority, Deora said: "I strongly appeal to the dealers to immediately call off their strike."

The sales tax in Maharashtra is one of the highest in the country. The tax in Goa is 21 percent, in Andhra Pradesh 28 percent and in Karnataka 30 percent, said Ravi Shindhe, president of Fampeda.

Fampeda members aim to force the state authorities to lower the tax rates through the strike.