Due to prolonged closure of gas supply to CNG stations, people are facing a great deal of problems operate their vehicles concerted long ago on CNG from petrol or diesel. Majority of vehicles running on gas are no more able to operate on petrol or diesel due non use of oil for operating vehicles since long. Carburetors of vehicles running on gas only since lone become defective and they can not be switch on petrol of diesel at a go. The Carburetors either need to be replaced with new one or repaired. The Carburetors used on gas since long can not be repatriated and only alternative is that to replace them, claimed the motor mechanics.

More than 90 percent of all public transports including minibuses, buses, taxi and rickshaws operating in the city have been converted on CNG. It recalled that after introduction of CNG in vehicles and frequent increase in diesel and petrol prices conversion of all types of vehicles including cars, buses, rickshaws etc on CNG started on massive scale and gaining momentum with the passage of time to save fuel expenses.

Now a number of vehicles owners had parked their vehicles in parking areas owing to non-availability of gas and unaffordable price of conversing from CNG to petrol or diesel. Only those vehicles are on roads which are on petrol, diesel or on both CNH and petrol diesel these days.

The closure of CNG stations is not only affecting specific people, who travel by buses but is also striking the bread and butter of those people who earn their livelihood through CNG such as taxi drivers, auto drivers, loaders and many others. Reports have been received that many pick-and-drop service providers serving office going people in general and ladies in particular have expressed their inability to ply vehicles on the days CNG station remain closed. General public faces many problems due to shortage of buses on roads while this situation could create many more hurdles in future.

The current week also saw a huge rush of people at bus stops waiting for busses and mini busses as buses were taking too long to reach their designated stops because of being a few in numbers. Due to non-availability of public transport, peak factors on ride-hailing services (two, three and four wheelers) have also severely hit cash-strapped consumers.

CNG rickshaw owners have placed a 1.5 liter bottle of petrol to show customers that they are using petrol, which justifies high transportation charges.

Non availability of busses and mini busses proved to be a great burden on the pockets of consumers as rickshaw and taxi drivers are demanding exorbitant fares while peak factor on ride-hailing services has remained a constant irritant owing to lack of public transport.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020