Gas closure: Consumers plead for a Sunday sabbath
SNGPL says it cannot devise or amend policies, follows government instructions.
LAHORE:
All Pakistan CNG Association and CNG consumers have demanded that the weekly closure be on Sundays instead of currently observed Tuesdays.
A Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) executive, reached for the utility’s view, was evasive saying that the SNGPL was following government’s instructions and would only change the schedule if told to do so.
Ghayas Paracha, the All Pakistan CNG Association chairman, said that a weekly closure on Sundays would cause lesser inconvenience to the dealers as well as consumers.
He complained that the APCNGA was extending its full cooperation to the SNGPL in observing the closure, yet the SNGPL was not accommodating the industry’s concerns.
Talking to The Express Tribune, several CNG vehicle users waiting for their turn at CNG stations in the city on Monday night also criticised the government for scheduling the closure on a working day. They said that the supply should instead be closed on Sunday to spare them the long wait after an exhausting day at work.
Bashir Niazi, waiting in a long queue at a CNG station on Ferozepur Road, said people like him whose jobs required them to travel long distances were facing a lot of trouble due to the CNG closure on Tuesday. He said that ideally like domestic consumption of gas, use of CNG should also be exempted from load management plan. If the closure was absolutely needed it should rather be on a Sunday, he added.
Arif Mujtaba, another commuter, said there was no justification for the closure considering the SNGPL was still not ensuring gas supply to domestic users at reliable pressure and was carrying out a three-day closure for industries.
Sadia Munir raised similar concerns. Public transport users, too, criticised the CNG closure on Tuesdays.
They said that transport facilities grind to a near halt and that they have to wait for long hours to catch a bus or an overcharging rickshaw.
Shafiq Nasir, who regularly travels by CNG buses, said he had to wait for long hours to board a bus on Tuesdays. “I always get late from work,” he said, adding, that due to an absence of CNG buses, the number of people travelling by vans and diesel buses increased on Tuesdays.
Mumtaz Mehr, a CNG bus driver, said that on Monday nights gas pressures were so low he was never able to get the tanker filled in advance, adding that Tuesdays were mostly spent at terminals without work.
“Though the SNGPL formally withdraws supply for one day, it causes problems for the consumers and CNG stations for three days,” said Arslan Shah, a CNG station owner. He added that the gas pressure on Monday and Wednesday frequently fell to half the normal level, making it impossible to carry on with the business. “Most customers can only get their gas tankers half full,” he said, “They blame us for the inconvenience, but the fault lies with the SNGPL.”
Rehan Nawaz, the SNGPL general manager (Retail and Sales), however, said that the SNGPL was not responsible for low supply pressure on Mondays and Wednesdays. He said they were supplying gas at promised pressure levels. “The low pressure at their end may be is due to the high consumption on a day before and after the closure,” he added.
To a question about the Sunday closure proposal, he said that they only followed government’s instructions. “Any change in the schedule,” he said, “will only happen if the Economic Committee of Cabinet (ECC) issues fresh instructions in that regard.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 8th, 2010.
All Pakistan CNG Association and CNG consumers have demanded that the weekly closure be on Sundays instead of currently observed Tuesdays.
A Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) executive, reached for the utility’s view, was evasive saying that the SNGPL was following government’s instructions and would only change the schedule if told to do so.
Ghayas Paracha, the All Pakistan CNG Association chairman, said that a weekly closure on Sundays would cause lesser inconvenience to the dealers as well as consumers.
He complained that the APCNGA was extending its full cooperation to the SNGPL in observing the closure, yet the SNGPL was not accommodating the industry’s concerns.
Talking to The Express Tribune, several CNG vehicle users waiting for their turn at CNG stations in the city on Monday night also criticised the government for scheduling the closure on a working day. They said that the supply should instead be closed on Sunday to spare them the long wait after an exhausting day at work.
Bashir Niazi, waiting in a long queue at a CNG station on Ferozepur Road, said people like him whose jobs required them to travel long distances were facing a lot of trouble due to the CNG closure on Tuesday. He said that ideally like domestic consumption of gas, use of CNG should also be exempted from load management plan. If the closure was absolutely needed it should rather be on a Sunday, he added.
Arif Mujtaba, another commuter, said there was no justification for the closure considering the SNGPL was still not ensuring gas supply to domestic users at reliable pressure and was carrying out a three-day closure for industries.
Sadia Munir raised similar concerns. Public transport users, too, criticised the CNG closure on Tuesdays.
They said that transport facilities grind to a near halt and that they have to wait for long hours to catch a bus or an overcharging rickshaw.
Shafiq Nasir, who regularly travels by CNG buses, said he had to wait for long hours to board a bus on Tuesdays. “I always get late from work,” he said, adding, that due to an absence of CNG buses, the number of people travelling by vans and diesel buses increased on Tuesdays.
Mumtaz Mehr, a CNG bus driver, said that on Monday nights gas pressures were so low he was never able to get the tanker filled in advance, adding that Tuesdays were mostly spent at terminals without work.
“Though the SNGPL formally withdraws supply for one day, it causes problems for the consumers and CNG stations for three days,” said Arslan Shah, a CNG station owner. He added that the gas pressure on Monday and Wednesday frequently fell to half the normal level, making it impossible to carry on with the business. “Most customers can only get their gas tankers half full,” he said, “They blame us for the inconvenience, but the fault lies with the SNGPL.”
Rehan Nawaz, the SNGPL general manager (Retail and Sales), however, said that the SNGPL was not responsible for low supply pressure on Mondays and Wednesdays. He said they were supplying gas at promised pressure levels. “The low pressure at their end may be is due to the high consumption on a day before and after the closure,” he added.
To a question about the Sunday closure proposal, he said that they only followed government’s instructions. “Any change in the schedule,” he said, “will only happen if the Economic Committee of Cabinet (ECC) issues fresh instructions in that regard.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 8th, 2010.