Govt held responsible for CNG cylinder explosions
Gas dealers say central, provincial govts fail to enforce safety checks.
KARACHI:
Compressed natural gas (CNG) dealers have held the central and provincial governments responsible for deadly gas cylinder explosions in vehicles, saying they have ignored dangers of fitting substandard cylinders by unlicensed shops and unskilled workers.
Speaking at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Monday, CNG Dealers Association President Abdul Sami Khan said CNG dealers had been pointing out for years that many people, having small shops by the roadside, were offering CNG kit conversion service without proper facilities and standard safety checks, resulting in accidents.
“We demand that only the Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan should install CNG kits and cylinders in public transport vehicles,” he said.
Rejecting the closure of CNG stations for two days this month due to gas shortage, Khan said millions of people were being denied the cheap fuel, adding consumers could be saved of inconvenience by suspending gas supply to the manufacturing industry and captive power plants.
“Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) people told us that closure of CNG pumps makes no difference in pressure. They have decided on CNG closure on Fridays, two Fridays have passed and two are to come after which suspension of gas supply will not be acceptable to us from January,” he said.
He also announced that government departments had defaulted on payments to CNG stations, which would stop fuel supply to government vehicles from Wednesday. “The outstanding amount was Rs250-300 million,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 20th, 2011.
Compressed natural gas (CNG) dealers have held the central and provincial governments responsible for deadly gas cylinder explosions in vehicles, saying they have ignored dangers of fitting substandard cylinders by unlicensed shops and unskilled workers.
Speaking at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Monday, CNG Dealers Association President Abdul Sami Khan said CNG dealers had been pointing out for years that many people, having small shops by the roadside, were offering CNG kit conversion service without proper facilities and standard safety checks, resulting in accidents.
“We demand that only the Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan should install CNG kits and cylinders in public transport vehicles,” he said.
Rejecting the closure of CNG stations for two days this month due to gas shortage, Khan said millions of people were being denied the cheap fuel, adding consumers could be saved of inconvenience by suspending gas supply to the manufacturing industry and captive power plants.
“Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) people told us that closure of CNG pumps makes no difference in pressure. They have decided on CNG closure on Fridays, two Fridays have passed and two are to come after which suspension of gas supply will not be acceptable to us from January,” he said.
He also announced that government departments had defaulted on payments to CNG stations, which would stop fuel supply to government vehicles from Wednesday. “The outstanding amount was Rs250-300 million,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 20th, 2011.