Petrol shortage affects Sunday Bazaars

LAHORE: The petrol shortage took its toll on Sunday Bazaars, as the number of customers and vendors fell sharply while the prices shot up.

The prices of some vegetables and fruits rose by more than 50 per cent. The number of stalls was considerably less then last week as many vendors decided against setting them up.

The supply suffered due the non-availability of transport. Most vendors use petrol-run motorcycle rickshaws to transport vegetables and fruits from wholesale markets. With the scarcity of petrol, most of them resorted to diesel trucks or donkey carts. The vendors said that there was a significant fall in the number of motorcycle-rickshaws on the roads. Those available, they said, were asking for very high fares.

Nazir Ahmed, a vegetable vendor, said that he decided not to set up the stall this Sunday owing to the high fares. “I used to pay Rs200 to the motorcycle rickshaw to take the vegetables and fruits from the sabzi mandi to the stall,” he said, “but today no transport was available so I decided to stay home.”

He said that the vendors who managed to take the vegetables and fruits to their stalls would now sell them at higher rates to cover the high transport cost.

Rafique Ahmed, another vendor, said that he used to pay Rs250 to Rs300 to the motorcycle rickshaws, but had to pay Rs450 this Sunday.

“The drivers said they had to purchase petrol for Rs120 per litre and had no option but to overcharge,” he said. He said that the truck and donkey-carts were also benefitting from the situation and overcharging.

He said that the number of customers was considerably lower then previous weeks.

Abdul Majeed, a regular shopper at Sunday Bazaars, said that he decided not to visit the bazaar this week. “There is not enough petrol in my car. I’ll need some for my commute to work tomorrow.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 20^th, 2010.