'Fuel of the poor' LPG soars in Pakistan, forcing rickshaw drivers to cut meals — SkimNews
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- LPG prices surged 56% to 7,000 Pakistani rupees for a 12kg cylinder following the Oct. 17 closure of two Iranian border crossings, halting daily imports of 7,000 metric tons.
- Rashid Ali, a Lahore rickshaw driver, now earns about US$3 a day—less than half his previous income—forcing his family to reduce meals to twice daily.
- Majeed Ghauri, chairman of the Awami Rickshaw Union, stated that 70% of the union’s 43,000 auto-rickshaws and nearly 8,000 Qingqis run on LPG, calling it 'the fuel of the poor'.
- Pakistan’s Balochistan province closed the border crossings, citing security and smuggling concerns, while Iran’s foreign ministry attributed the disruption to technical issues and paperwork changes.
- Passengers are refusing to pay higher fares, with some walking away from trips, leaving drivers like Ali unable to pass on rising fuel costs.
Why it matters: With LPG now at 583 rupees per kg, drivers who spend 300–400 rupees per fill-up multiple times a day face unsustainable costs. Inflation at 9.6% and record petrol prices compound the crisis, eroding incomes for tens of thousands of rickshaw operators and their families.
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