The five-day a week gas suspension to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations in Punjab has further intensified the woes of commuters and motorists, it is observed. During a survey conducted by Business Recorder, different CNG consumers and commuters said that their problems were increased manifold after the government enhanced gas suspension duration for CNG stations.
Consumers at different CNG outlets in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, while complaining the ineffectiveness of the current gas load-management plan for the CNG stations, have urged the government to enhance the timing of CNG outlets from 2 days a week to at least four days a week or instead of supplying two days a week gas to CNG outlets start supplying 12 hours a day gas to CNG stations for four days a week, as this move will help ease somehow their problems.
According to CNG users, CNG stations remain open on Monday and Thursday, which is resulting in long queues on filling stations as well as wastage of precious time due to which on these two days majority of the motorists and other travellers remain unable to reach their work places on time.
A survey conducted by Business Recorder here on Thursday noted long queues of motorists outside CNG stations of the twin cities. On the occasion, different users talking to this correspondent stated that motorists in allover Punjab were facing serious problems due to new gas load-management plan for CNG outlets.
The new gas load-management plan which was approved by the Sui-Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) without the consultation of All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) has multiplied their miseries, said Mohammad Bashir Khan, a motorist, waiting for his turn to refill his car with outside a CNG station located in Melody Market, Islamabad. Due to intensifying gas load-shedding for the CNG sector not only Public Service Vehicles (PSVs), but majority of the taxis have also gone off the roads as van owners are complaining that current PSV fares did not even meet their expenditures if they are running the vans on petrol or diesel. While cab owners are also of the view that passengers are not willing to pay the fares as per petrol prices, adding that CNG is almost 100 percent cheaper than the petrol.
When contacted Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha, Chairman Supreme Council All Pakistan CNG Association, said the current gas load-management plan was devised by the SNGPL without any consultation with the CNG body. "We have urged the government of increasing gas supply to CNG stations, but the authority concerned is giving no heed to address our problems. We are unable to pay the wages to our staff and if current plan continued at least 50,000 people working on CNG stations will become jobless and our investment of over Rs 440 billion would be ruined," Paracha stated. There are some 3,500 CNG stations across the country, while an estimated 3.7 million vehicles, including Public Service Vehicles (PSVs), private cars, taxi cabs, rickshaws and mini-buses are operating on CNG.