LAHORE: Surging liquefied petroleum gas prices in Pakistan have halved auto-rickshaw drivers’ daily earnings, forcing families to cut back on meals after the closure of Iranian border crossings.
For 13 years, 33-year-old Rashid Ali has driven an auto-rickshaw across Lahore to support his wife and two children. While his shifts run from 6 a.m. to midnight, soaring fuel costs have cut his daily income to less than half its previous level, leaving him with about 800 rupees a day.
Awami Rickshaw Union Chairman Majeed Ghauri stated that about 70% of the union’s 43,000 auto-rickshaws and 8,000 Qingqi three-wheelers run on the fuel.
The price surge began after two Iranian border crossings closed on October 17, halting imports. According to the Pakistan LPG Association, the country previously imported about 7,000 metric tons of liquefied petroleum gas daily from Iran.
Traders reported that the open-market price of a 12-kilogram cylinder jumped 56% within days to 7,000 Pakistani rupees, or about 583 rupees per kilogram.
Read: LPG Price in Pakistan Hits Rs630 as Official Rate Rises
Balochistan provincial authorities cited security and smuggling concerns for the border closures, while Iran’s foreign ministry attributed the disruption to technical issues and changes to import paperwork.
Ali pays 600 rupees daily to rent his vehicle and refuels his tank multiple times a day. Meanwhile, passengers are reluctant to pay higher fares to match inflation, which hit 9.6% in October.
(With additional input from Reuters)
