The continued strike of All Pakistan CNG Association has made life of the masses miserable, as most of the Public Service Vehicles (PSV) preferred to remain off the roads due to non-availability of CNG, as a result the commuters have faced great difficulties in reaching their workplaces.
The commuters, who are waiting at various bus stops of the twin cities of Rawalpindi/ Islamabad, told Business Recorder here on Friday that both the government and the APCNGA were equally responsible for their woes. They alleged that the government was increasing petrol and CNG prices continuously to bridge the budget deficit gap.
Wahid Mir, a commuter, said the government should take notice of the situation and force the transporters to bring their vehicles on roads, adding the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) was approving PSV fares in accordance with the prices of diesel, while 100 percent of the vehicles were using CNG, which was much cheaper than diesel.
Majority of the people urged the government to approve the fares in accordance with CNG prices, besides taking measures to ensure plying of transports on roads despite the strike or CNG load-shedding. "There is a strange system in the country, as the government is approving PSV fares as per diesel prices, while PSVs are using CNG and charging passengers as per petrol/diesel rates. This practice must be end," said Raja Tahir Khan a student of Federal Urdu University.
On the other hand, APCNGA Central Chairman Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha announced that if the government did not accept their demands his body would not withdraw strike call and would close the petrol pumps too. The government was not realising the problems of the public, he added. He said it was the fifth day, as CNG filling stations in most parts of the country remained closed, which had hit hard the public.
On the other hand, petroleum dealers association has announced to close petrol pumps in Punjab along with CNG stations in protest against the proposed CESS tax. Paracha has announced that "our strike will continue till the cancellation of the proposed imposition of CESS and the roll back of price rise decision."
He said "we have yet not been contacted by the government for the meeting," adding that APCNGA had not announced to call off the strike, as it was only a group in Sindh, which has no connection with us." He said if the government increased Gas Infrastructure Development Cess (GIDC) on CNG sector a private car owner had to pay Rs 5,000 to 10,000 extra.