March 2012 is to end in about a week from now to make room for new month of April. But alarming bells have already started ringing again. These alarming bells are ringing as the newspapers have started publishing stories about impending increase in petroleum prices. These reports say that POL products are expected to increase by up to Rs 7.68 per litre from April 1.
Anyone who is good at plus and minus business can work out, on the basis of these reports, how much more POL products are going to cost with yet another petrol prices bomb which the federal government is going to throw on the people after few days from now quite mercilessly and ruthlessly in an unabated manner. After the impending increase, petrol will be sold at more Rs 105 per litre thus crossing the “coveted mark” while kerosene oil would just be on the verge of touching 100 mark as it is likely to cost Rs 99.96 per litre. This means that no segment of the society is going to be spared.
Such a situation calls for some deep thinking by those possessing vehicles like cars and motorcycles because they would be required to pay more for continue to run their vehicles on the roads and also for fetching daily use food items whose prices would quite viciously go up due to higher transportation charges.
All such motorists, particularly those in the private sector, should start looking for some fuel saving methods in the right earnest because they would not like to reduce their travelling for business and other purposes. But they can certainly opt for something which would help them going continuously long distances but still saving on fuel expenses due to reasonably lesser consumption.
MASROOR AHMAD
Lahore
