KARACHI: The Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Pakistan (ICMAP) has outlined several operational and administrative issues regarding the government’s upcoming “mobile-app-based fuel quota system for motorcycles and rickshaws, with plans to extend it to small cars up to 800cc.”

The ICMAP said that retrofitting petrol stations with devices, maintaining reliable connectivity across urban and rural areas, and training staff nationwide will require significant logistical preparation. Managing fuel quotas for millions of vehicles, processing exemption requests, and handling emergency situations will also place a substantial administrative burden on implementing agencies. Without robust verification mechanisms, there is also a risk of duplicate registrations, inaccurate data entries, or quota misuse across regions.

The fuel quota system should include unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) and SMS-based options, in addition to the mobile application, so that citizens without smartphones or internet access can also check their quotas and generate fuel vouchers. It recommended district-level registration drives in collaboration with the National Data Registration Authority, Excise departments, and local administrations to verify vehicle records and ensure that eligible citizens are not excluded.

The ICMAP proposed allowing unused fuel quotas to be carried forward for a limited period, giving riders flexibility in managing their fuel consumption across different days of the week. There is a need to introduce a tiered quota structure that allocates fuel according to the needs of different users. Essential service riders and delivery workers could receive higher allocations; commercial operators, such as rickshaw drivers, could receive a separate category of quotas; daily commuters could receive standard allocations; and occasional users could receive a lower baseline quota.

The institute emphasised the importance of centralised real-time monitoring systems that enable authorities to track subsidised fuel distribution across petrol stations and quickly identify irregularities. It recomme­n­ded establishing clear and audited emergency override procedures for situations such as me­­dical emergencies or natural disasters. Link­ing quotas to the vehicle’s registered district would help prevent cross-regional misuse.

While calling for extensive awareness campaigns on registration procedures and voucher usage, the ICMAP said that accessible complaint and support channels, including hotlines and in-app assistance, should also be established, with clear response timelines.

It recommended implementing the system through a phased rollout: a pilot phase in selected districts for approximately three months, followed by expansion to major urban areas and transport corridors over six months, and ultimately achieving nationwide coverage within a year, with regular quarterly reviews to assess system performance and fuel demand.

Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2026