Last ditch plea to halt natural gas price hike
Private transport operators are sending another strong message to the government, demanding that it review the decision to hike the price of natural gas for vehicles as well as audit PTT's actual cost.
In another effort to block the price increase, Yu Chianyuenyongphong, president of the Land Transport Federation of Thailand, claimed that the hike would increase transportation costs by 20 per cent.
The government next month allows an increase in the NGV price of 50 satang per month, which will effectively raise the price from Bt8.50 per kg to Bt14.50 per kg.
Yu said that the government must audit the actual production cost of PTT, the sole provider of NGV, adding that would prevent market distortions, which might lead to a shortage. A committee should be set up, with public participation, to review the energy pricing structure. This must be completed by January 9.
At present, the number of NGV-fuelled public buses is four per cent of the total. They consume 13 per cent of total NGV consumption.
The number of NGVfuelled taxi account for 24 per cent of the total. They consume a total of 15 per cent of NGV.
Taxi drivers are also against the decision, despite the government’s discount offer of Bt2 per kg. They said that the discount would maintain the cost for just four months. After that when the gas price increase is beyond Bt2 per kg, taxi drivers will have to shoulder the higher cost.
