No one will disagree with need for conserving natural gas, but clearly the lead has to come from the government.
KARACHI: I would agree with much of what Yaqoob Khan Bangash has said in his article of January 17 titled “Rationalising natural gas usage”. However, let’s not forget the fact that our cities have no functioning public transport system. There are buses, wagons and mini-buses but they are not a clean, reliable and efficient means of transport — and certainly not safe either.
So it is not all that unreasonable for those who own vehicles to demand a cheaper alternative to petrol, especially given that we are all citizens of a poor and developing country. Also, no one will disagree with the need for conservation of natural gas and other valuable sources of energy, but clearly the lead in this has to come from the government. Why cannot it formulate a conservation strategy/policy?
When the country’s prime minister, president and its armed forces chiefs travel in petrol-guzzling limousines, it is a bit unfair to ask the ordinary man on the street to carpool or catch a bus.
Asad Shairani
Published in The Express Tribune, January 18th, 2012.
