PM Shehbaz directs to include 20-year-old bikes, rickshaws in fuel relief scheme
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday issued directives to include motorcycles, rickshaws and Qingqis that were registered after Jan 1, 2006 in the govt’s recently announced fuel scheme. “All motorcycles, rickshaws, and Qingqis registered after Jan 1, 2006, will be eligible for registration in the Prime Minister Fuel Relief Scheme,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a post on the social media…
On September 13, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif unveiled a relief scheme to help motorbike, rickshaw, and Qingqi owners cope with the rising cost of petrol due to global oil price fluctuations. The scheme aims to mitigate the burden of the escalating fuel prices caused by the Middle East's renewed hostilities, which disrupted major oil supply routes like the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab.
The PM announced that motorcycles, rickshaws, and Qingqis registered after January 1, 2006, will be eligible for the relief scheme. Now, individuals with 20-year-old vehicles will also qualify for the benefits. Owners of small cars with engines up to 800cc receive Rs100 per litre relief on 30 litres of petrol monthly, while motorcycles, rickshaws, and Qingqis' owners enjoy the same relief on 20 litres.
However, the introduction of the scheme faced challenges from the first day, with some petrol pumps refusing to follow the digital app, claiming a lack of required systems to provide petrol at the reduced rate. The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association also raised concerns about the scheme's disbursement mechanism, fearing members would struggle to recover the amount owed.
Alongside the fuel crisis, the federal government introduced austerity measures, including closing markets by 9 pm and cutting fuel provision for official vehicles by half for three months.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
