KARACHI: The sharp increase in diesel prices has pushed the goods transport sector to the brink of collapse, according to the All Pakistan Goods Transport Owners Association.
Association President Muhammad Owais Chaudhry said the rising cost of diesel had placed an enormous financial burden on transporters, making it increasingly difficult to operate vehicles without incurring losses.
He said several vehicles had already been taken off the roads again because of the rising diesel prices, adding that operating goods transport vehicles had become a continuous loss-making business.
Owais Chaudhry urged the government to reduce diesel and petrol prices directly instead of introducing relief packages or complicated subsidy schemes.
“Transporters do not need complicated schemes in the name of relief; fuel prices should be reduced directly,” he said.
The goods transporters’ association also warned that expensive diesel was contributing significantly to inflation by increasing the cost of transporting essential commodities.
The association said that if diesel prices continued to rise, transporters would be forced to take more vehicles off the roads, potentially affecting the supply and transportation costs of essential goods across the country.
The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) on Monday night further increased the petrol price and diesel rate.
According to the notification, the petrol price was increased by Rs4.42 per. The diesel rate was increased by Rs6.10 per litre.
The latest increase comes as the government has announced a special relief scheme to reduce the impact of rising oil prices on the public amid recent tensions in the Middle East and the resultant increase in global oil prices.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said a relief of Rs100 per litre will be provided on petrol for users of motorcycles, rickshaws, Qingqi rickshaws and vehicles up to 800cc under the special relief scheme.
Motorcycle, rickshaw and Qingqi users, as well as other two- and three-wheeler users, will receive a relief of Rs100 per litre on up to 20 litres of petrol per month.
