CNG: not quite the poor mans fuel

The government is not alien to reversing decisions, whether they are political or economic in nature. But, it happens seldom that a decision is reversed for sound reasons. So, the governments decision to roll back the gas load management plan that would have curtailed the supply of natural gas to fertiliser companies during the winter months is commendable. Rational prioritisation of gas supplies is a crucial issue for the countrys energy sector as well as industrial and agricultural sectors. But, while the government deserves praise for this decision, it will soon be facing immense pressure from other natural gas users, most notably, the CNG associations. The All Pakistan CNG Association has already threatened to go on strike over the planned gas load management which would deprive CNG stations of gas for three days in a week. The Association claims that the proposed plan will destroy the industry and it would be harsh on millions of CNG users across the country. CNG has become the fuel of choice for most commuters across the country as it is still available at a heavy discount to the alternative fuel: petrol. Flawed government policies in the past led to the CNG boom in the country, for which the CNG industry should not be blamed. But, it remains a fact that the use of natural gas for transportation purpose is not the smartest choice, especially when the country faces acute gas shortage which threatens industrial activity and creates a huge imbalance in the power generation mix. The association claims that the three-day closure would affect the poor masses of the country-a claim that seems far from reality. Private vehicles comprise 80 percent of the total CNG usage in the country and an average car owner in the country is by no means poor, considering the fact that buying a car is out of the reach of those living at or near the poverty line. Experts have long argued that CNG usage should only be confined to public transport, but that is probably not going to happen anytime soon or even in the foreseeable future. Even the use of CNG in public transport has not yielded the desired benefit to the masses. In the last couple of years, roughly over 70 percent of public transport in Karachi alone has switched to CNG which is 50 percent cheaper than diesel. Yet transport fares continue to be linked with diesel rates, which is highly unfair on the masses. It is high time that the government should stand up and rationalise CNG prices by narrowing the price differential with petrol in order to discourage its usage in private vehicles instead of being bogged down to the lobby that is sure to knock doors in Islamabad pretty soon.