Rawalpindi: Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) filling stations in Potohar Region including Rawalpindi and Islamabad remained closed on Monday for the fourth consecutive day after observing a three-day scheduled gas loadshedding. Long queues of vehicles have been observed in front of petrol pumps as majority of pumps faced shortage of fuel due to high demand in absence of CNG.
SNGPL and All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) without informing public are changing gas load management schedule to create worst kinds of difficulties for motorists. The concerned authority had changed gas load management schedule two weeks ago.
On Monday when motorists went to stations to refill cylinders after a three-day CNG
holidays there was no gas and all stations were closed down. All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) Vice-Chairman Abid Hayat Shaikh told ?The News? that government has again changed gas load management schedule for Potohar Region including Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
?Motorists will now get CNG on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and Saturday rather than Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday,? he confirmed. He admitted that public faced worst kinds of difficulties due to changing of schedule without informing. According to sources, CNG stations resumed supply on Monday at 6 a.m. after a three-day gas loadshedding but the SNGPL issued orders to CNG station owners to stop supply for an indefinite period in Punjab including twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad following the closure of the Qadirpur Gas Field on account of a technical fault.
?The gas field is suffering from a shortage of almost 400 million cubic feet,? a SNGPL official on condition of anonymity said. On the other hand, commuters faced severe difficulties due to the non-availability of CNG. Long queues of vehicles were witnessed at stations where CNG was supplied.
The helpless commuters faced shortage of public transports because of absence of CNG without any intimation.Mutahidda Transport Union (MTU) General Secretary Ghulam Mustafa admitted all facts saying commuters were facing shortage of transport due to absence of CNG.
He also said that passengers do not pay extra fare as per petrol therefore majority of transporters closed down vehicles on Monday. Students of twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad also faced transport problem due to the non-availability of CNG and petrol shortage to reach their educational institutes in time.
The non-availability of CNG for four days and long queues of vehicles at petrol pumps have caused shortage of public transport in cities while overcharging of private transport is also testing the nerves of the students.
According to various surveys, thousands of people travel within twin cities on daily basis and majority of them are students belonging to the schools, colleges and universities.
?I use my private transport to reach my college while absence of fuel is the hurdle to drive my vehicle and overcharging of taxis is the main reason for not attending my classes,? Muhammad Nouman Mazhar a student told ?The News? on Monday.
Raja Israr Ahmed, a government employee said that government is killing public by increasing petrol and diesel prices every month. Government is neither decreasing the rates of fuel nor providing C