LAHORE: Though the government on Saturday decided to open compressed natural gas (CNG) stations within the limits of Lahore city for two days to take some pressure off dwindling petrol supplies, only 50 per cent of stations started operation by 8pm.

“Most of the station owners were reluctant because their fixed charges – of electricity, which are charged on a monthly basis and not on actual consumption – were too high to be recovered in two-day operation,” says Ghias Paracha of the CNG Association.

But, the association is still pressing the owners to pull their shutters up to facilitate the masses, the owners do have a point and the association cannot force them, he claimed.

“The government first decided to divert 90 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) gas from textile to CNG sector throughout Punjab, says Paracha. Later it was decided that only Lahore region, with around 310 stations, would operate for two days. Still later, the supplies were further limited to only 70 odd stations falling within the urban precinct of the city. Thus, it is only Lahore city and for only two days, he explained and added: “Hopefully, the rest of 50pc owners would also listen to the association and start operating during the night.”

“The problem is not only of fixed charges, but also of manpower,” claims Malik Muzamil, who runs a CNG station in the city. Most of the owners had sent their staff on long leave because they were told about the non-availability of gas for a few months. Now, the government has suddenly decided to open them in the middle of the winter, and that too for only two days. It is thus increasingly hard for the owners to instantly arrange manpower and that too for two days. This is more of an operational problem rather than anything else, he claimed.

Meanwhile, the Lahorites continued suffering oil shortages and the impact spread even to those who don’t own a vehicle as all kind of public transporters increased fares. “Most of rickshaw and taxi drivers are now charging up to 100 per cent more than their normal fare on the excuse of oil shortages,” says Hamza Khan.

Owners find it hard to arrange labour

Since people are without fuel for their vehicles, even in extreme emergency cases, they are left with no option but to hire these expensive rickshaws and taxis. The fact that there is no fixed rate per kilometer, the drivers are exploiting the situation to the hilt, fleecing people to their fiscal limit.

The LPG prices were down, but the public transport still became even expensive because of sense of crisis prevailing in the city, says Muhammad Ayaz of Walton Road. The mere drive on any city road gives the sense of crisis this city is facing.

“You try to cross a road where a petrol station is located and one can see queues stretching to kilometers and irate waiting drivers losing their nerves on slightest of provocations. It is like watching the entire social fabric falling apart, especially on these stations,” he said.

Published in Dawn January 18th , 2015

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