LAHORE – Lahoris had a bad vehicle day, as all CNG stations were closed due to the two-day weekly closure and petrol pumps stopped sales, as fuel prices are expected to increase by Rs 7 to 9 per litre from midnight, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Motorists criticised the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) for not giving relief to CNG stations despite the fact that petrol pumps were also closed. Petrol pump owners want to mint money by selling the commodity at higher prices from midnight without caring for fuel-less citizens. Petrol pumps at the Model Town Link Road, Peco Road, Ferozepur Road, Allama Iqbal Town and other areas of the city stopped sales in the afternoon causing huge problems for motorists.
Motorists and motorcyclists were seen searching for petrol and hardly found anything. The closure of CNG stations added to miseries of motorists, who were running their vehicles on petrol. Some fuel stations made an excuse of less supply from refineries and stopped sales. But citizens said that there is no problem of supplies and petrol pump owners want to fleece people.
Consumers also criticised the Punjab government for not saving them from the clutches of the “petrol pump mafia”. They said that no Punjab government official took any action against pump owners. “It is responsibility of the Punjab government to make sure petrol’s availability at controlled prices but I cannot see any government official taking action against such profiteers,” motorcyclist Rizwan Ahmed said adding that he went to around five petrol pumps for getting fuel.
Another motorcyclist Javed Latif said that fuel pumps did have petrol but were not selling it. “If any official comes to check fuel supplies and tanks of the pumps, then he could easily expose the lies of petrol pump owners,” Latif said. “At least the SNGPL could have changed the closure schedule, as there is no petrol,” motorist Sabir Ali said adding that he searched many pumps for getting fuel worth Rs 400.
