The caretaker government in its dying days has made it easier for the upcoming energy managers of the country. The government has decided to restrict the use of CNG up to 1000-CC vehicles, of course public transport being an exception.
The media, especially the electronic one has expectedly bashed the decision as another step to suppress the masses. But in all reality, it is not the masses who will suffer from this step. In fact, the masses suffer more when CNG is used in private cars as cheaper fuel, while power generation plants and industries suffer from gas loadshedding.
In all fairness, the step might not result in massive natural gas saving, and is at best a symbolic move. But the importance of this move cannot be undermined, as it gives the right signal to the people that burning the precious fuel in transportation isn the best thing to do.
CNGs share in total gas consumption pie has gone up to 9.2 percent, from 4.6 percent in 2007, according to the latest numbers provided in Energy Yearbook 2012. CNG associations have already started crying foul, hinting that they will approach the government in-waiting to address the issue. If PML-Ns election manifesto is anything to go by, it is not likely to reverse the ban on 1000-CC plus vehicles.
The PML-N has clearly mentioned in its manifesto that it would restrict the use of CNG to public transport only, until gas supply increases reasonably. Moreover, the brief on energy programme given to PML-Ns leadership also hints at bringing petrol and CNG prices at parity in a years time.
This is undoubtedly the right thing to do, but the previous government failed in its various attempts to narrow the price differential. One hopes that the PML-N government stays true to its words and bites the bullet in its initial days, before it gets tougher.
Should the government go ahead with narrowing the price differential with petrol, it would not even need to impose any ban on CNG usage in private transport either.
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