MULTAN/ FAISALABAD/ LAHORE:
Hundreds of fuel stations across Lahore remained closed on Saturday in the wake of reduction in petroleum prices announced by the government on Friday.
Many petrol stations were also closed in Faisalabad and Multan.
Motorists in Lahore were seen purchasing fuel for much as Rs110 per litre from roadside stalls.
Azhar Ali, a medical representative at a pharmaceutical company, said he had had to buy petrol from such a stall.
“I had to buy because I had no other option. I had to go to work,” he said.
Mustafa Haider, who also purchased fuel from a roadside stall, said no petrol station along his route to work was open.
“You cannot purchase fuel at the prices set by the government because the petrol stations do not allow it,” he said
It took the city government half a day to respond to the crisis.
Five petrol pumps were then sealed in the city and three people were arrested late in the afternoon.
They also issued warnings to 20 others, after which some of the stations re-opened.
They were quickly swarmed.
There are more than 350 fuel stations in the city.
Chaudhary Irfan Maeo, the owner of a petrol station on Multan Road, said he had last purchased fuel at the old prices.
He said with a substantial decrease in fuel prices, the fuel stations would face a loss.
Jibran Khalil, a motorist waiting for his turn to get fuel in a long queue, said “It’s the government’s responsibility to ensure that whenever the prices are increased or decreased, the public do not suffer because of it.”
DCO Captain (r) Muhammad Usman said enforcement of new prices at fuel stations would be ensured.
He said 90 teams had been constituted to check fuel prices.
A city district government official said, on condition of anonymity - as he was not authorised to speak to the media – some petrol stations in Manawan, Harbansepura and Manga Mandi were still overcharging.
He said teams were dispatched to those areas as well and soon all fuel stations would brought under control.
Punjab Government spokesman Syed Zaeem Hussain Qadri said the government would ensure provision of petroleum products on new rates throughout the province.
The spokesman said citizens could inform a special cell of Punjab government on toll free number 0800-02345 about the petrol pumps not selling petrol or selling at higher rates.
In Faisalabad, eight petrol pumps were sealed by assistant commissioners on charges of overcharging after reduction in oil prices.
A spokesman of the city district government assistant commissioners had been dispatched to check fuel prices after the government’s announcement.
He said the eight petrol pumps included the Total petrol pump on Jarranwala Road, PSO pump at Koh-i-Noor Flats, Caltex pump on Samundri Road, Mian Petroleum, Azeem Petroleum at Jhang Road, Total Petroleum at Kamalpur Motorway and AD Mor petroleum Kamalpur interchange.
In Vehari, DCO Jawad Akram constituted seven teams who sealed four petrol pumps were sealed and issued warnings to 17 others.
In Multan, DCO Zahid Saleem Gondal told The Express Tribune that over 500 complaints were received after the implementations of the new petroleum prices.
He said the district government had issued warnings to 52 petrol pump owners.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 2nd, 2014.
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In past whenever there was any increase, the patrol pump owners would not wait for notification and increase price immediately. These shameless characters should be taught lesson in shape of huge fines.