RAWALPINDI: After the increase in petrol prices, motorists have started using Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) again and the CNG filling stations which were closed a few years ago have been re-opened.

There are 578 CNG filling stations from Jhelum to Attock- including in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. More than 200 of these had been closed down over the last two years.

There were two reasons for the closing down of CNG stations, that the gas supply for CNG stations was limited for some time and due to the drop in petrol prices.

The government increased petrol prices on March 1. The price of diesel was increased from Rs95.83 per liter to Rs98.45 per liter while the price of petrol was increased from Rs84.51 to Rs88.07 per liter.

CNG costs Rs62.5 per liter and is available at all times throughout the week.

A resident of Chaklala Scheme III, Israr Jadoon said he switched from using petrol to CNG after the increase in price and suggested that the government not increase fuel prices in the last months of its tenure.

A resident of Westridge III, Mohammad Shahzad said he had removed the CNG cylinder from his car after its price increased and due to its non-availability. However, he installed the kit again in his car after the hike in petroleum prices.

He said many CNG stations around the marble factories near Westridge have reopened and urged the government to ask CNG station owners to sell the gas on the basis of kilograms and not liters.

When asked, All Pakistan CNG Association group leader Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha said CNG stations were re-opening after a gap of two years.

He said 391 CNG filing stations are operating 24 hours in the Potohar region.

“As many as 152 CNG filling stations are still closed as they are facing some technical issues. Some have not submitted their dues, for example. But, overall, the sale of CNG has increased in a week,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2018