LAHORE: The low-income people are hard-pressed by the surge in the prices of fuel and electricity which has made impossible for them to meet even the daily expenses.
The recent hike in oil price has infuriated the people who blamed the previous government for it. They believed that their lousy planning and self-centered policies have caused unprecedented inflation in the country.
A motorcyclist, Hameed, told Business Recorder in a survey on Saturday that his limited income has lost value due to high food, fuel and electricity prices; “I have made cuts in my monthly budget to meet the everyday expenses, but I am still short by the end of the second week”. “With revised prices of electricity, I think I could only afford to pay the utility bill or buy food for my family,” he added.
Ziaur Rehman questioned the existence of the government, saying there was no government in the country; if there was one then the people today would not be facing miserable life. “The rulers were oblivious of the people’s plight, crushed hard by skyrocketing prices of electricity, food and transport; they were only concerned about hanging on to the power. The government has no empathy for the common man,” he added.
Abdullah, a young man working in a private office, felt the pinch of the recent hike while buying petrol, saying now it has become difficult for him to use the motorcycle for commuting. He noted that the new prices of fuel and electricity would unleash a new wave of inflation in the country. “The current prices of food items were already too high, but the impact of the recent hike in the prices of fuel and electricity would take most of the food items of our reach,” he added.
Costly private transport has forced many commuters to change their lifestyle and was switching to public transport. Recently, the Orange Train and Metro Bus witnessed a sudden surge in the number of passengers. And, during the commuting, the passengers were seen interacting with each other with one common concern, inflation.
A depressed middle-aged man, Ahsan Riaz told this scribe that he has lost all hope in the government of providing any kind of relief to the people; he was tired of hollow promises. “Yes, it was an everyday struggle to meet the expenses, but what choice do we have,” he added.
Some commuters were seen taking out their anger on the drivers of Chingchi rickshaws, one of the common modes of transport for low-income people in the provincial capital. Soon after the announcement of the new prices of petrol and diesel, the Chingchi rickshaw owners increased the fare by Rs 10, which infuriated many commuters; refusal to pay extra fares led to heated arguments.
Waheed, a Chingchi rickshaw driver, said that it has been frustrating for him to force people to pay the revised fare. “Everyone was taking out their anger on me. They should know, after the increase in pol prices, the old fare was no longer feasible. If I do not earn then how would I feed my family? They should also understand that I am also hit by the high prices of electricity and food items,” he added.
However, after paying the fare to the driver, infuriated Sameer Qureshi showed frustration over the perpetual high inflation in the country. He averred that my purchasing power has halved in one year and sees no respite in the near future. “My real worry was how I would juggle between paying the inflated utility bills and putting food on my table,” he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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