[pacman2881]

To 'reduce' fuel consumption the Government is mulling shutting petrol stations after 8PM.

Excerpts-

Oil minister M Veerappa Moily on Sunday said his ministry was planning to prohibit fuels pumps from staying open at night as part of the government’s plan to check fuel consumption in the country.

Moily, who recently wrote to the Prime Minister urging steps to shave off the massive spends on importing oil, has said that his ministry will mount an austerity drive to taper fuel consumption, which is seen as the primary driver of the country’s current account deficit.

"There are various options that have been floated. Shutting petrol pumps during night is one of them. But we have not decided. It is just a proposal," Moily told PTI from Bangalore.

The oil ministry plans to launch a fuel conservation drive from September 16 to cut fuel demand by 3 per cent and save an estimated Rs. 16,000 crore or USD 2.5 billion in forex outgo.

Link - http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-...1-1115982.aspx

I fail to understand how this will actually reduce consumption. If at all anything, it will only cause more hardship. Now people will unnecessarily stock up more. This will also lead to blackmarketing at nights.

I wonder how Government can enforce such measures.

[honeybee]

Just another sign that the government is fast losing its touch with reality.

[rajeev k]

That would be real trouble for night travelers. Such an enforcement was in force citing the same reason, several years ago. But gradually almost every filling station became 24Hr open ones.

[mohitk1993]

Originally Posted by pacman2881

To 'reduce' fuel consumption the Government is mulling shutting petrol stations after 8PM.

If implemented, this will only lead to massive jams at petrol pumps just before 8pm, as everyone will be in a hurry to fill up. Seriously, if someone has to travel at night, HE WILL, irrespective of the availability of open petrol bunks or not.

Originally Posted by honeybee

Just another sign that the government is fast losing its touch with reality.

Nailed it!

[nitinralli]

This would only increase corruption as they might end up harassing people who need petrol at night and charging them premium. Cops cannot keep a check on this for sure. Stupid idea i must say.

[MHG]

What utter rubbish ? This doesn't even make the slightest amount of sense.

They should instead pass laws giving excise concessions on cars with ARAI mileage above 20 km/L and further concessions on cars that break the 25 barrier (regardless of them being petrol or diesel powered). Hybrids should come under 12.5% excise bracket and EVs shouldn't be charged any excise duty. They also need to start process to ensure cheap ethanol production in India so that we could emulate Brazil by bringing in flexi-fuel vehicles.

[raul]

Shouldn't a minister have the basic responsibility to think things through before making suggestions?

Folks are simply going to fill up more leading to more queues and all the associated inconveniences associated with frenzy. So you are not going to reduce the consumption in any significant way just inconvenience the public, folks will just be hoarding fuel. And the idea is DOA even before implementation.

What next, rationing? And fuel only for the privileged and those with 'contacts', which is what inevitably happens in this country.

Let's see some of the things which will actually lead to reduced fuel consumption:

1. Better roads, traffic management - endless jams are a criminal waste of fuel

2. Better planned cities and infrastructure - because of artificially inflated real estate costs thanks mainly to politician-builder nexus, folks travel from the furthest end to get to work. The same politicians launch malls, hotels, hospitals against all basic planing norms having compromised the system, in the most crowded areas with no thought to capacity and traffic leading to huge jams all around.

3. Better public transport - because of vested interests, mainly politicians and contractors, critical Mumbai projects have been delayed, sabotaged multiple times so they can build for instance the sea link from Bandra to Colaba, at the cost of perhaps better and cheaper sea facing roads. Instead of a true metro that can go down many levels down and is thus future centric they have opted for a monorail which is not expandable. 2 lines will remain 2 lines. London, Paris, New York are all multi-level metro systems which is what a modern populated city like Mumbai needs. This is how decisions are made in this country, to favour a few, at the cost of many and never in the public interest.

4. Serious encouragement of electric vehicles

5. Government ministers and functionaries have no business travelling in 15-25 vehicle convoys and move around with 5-7 cars when ever they step out, all paid for by the exchequer.

Nah ... too difficult, hence let's think of the silliest ideas that come to mind.

[jkumar007]

What a ridiculous idea. It will simply add some rush & queue at petrol pumps.
All these are just eye wash to show that govt is doing something (read it as 'deteriorating') to the economy...!
- Govt wants foreign automobile manufacturers to invest in India & build more factories.
- Give contracts to build roads & highways.
- Let the private industrialist to flourish by making money out of common man (by selling cars and collecting toll fee).
- On top of that, government collects taxes like service tax, sales tax, road tax, etc...
After doing all these things, they don't want to give fuel and ask people to keep their cars idle sitting in the garage. (Don't people think it is an utter cheat???)

If they really care about India & want to develop the nation, then there are lot of options available to them and the politicians and administrators would be well aware of that. They know that their hands are tied because of the favors that they would have availed from industrialists. All are big stupid drama.

So, if i get an urgent call @ night and if i have to travel long. Then i need to cancel my plans and wait @ home. What would happen to those to go home after a movie @ night. Petrol kam hai, so road pe so (sleep) nahi sakte. petrol pump me sona (sleeping) safe rahega? What if i am travelling to Kerala from hyd. So, i am supposed to stop with my family in a car in a gas station, till they open bunks in morning.

Is this what, government's solution to reduce fuel consumption? Ridiculous.

I bet, if they could improvise the infrastructure, the consumption would be reduced to a greater extent.
The best example would be the current bombay-hyderabad road. It is in atrocious state for over 150 KM. The government should be ashamed to say it as a National Highway. If it could be improved to a decent state, where in everybody could drive in top gear, it itself brings the consumption down of all vehicles travelling.

The so called petro minister, who is capable of thinking out of the box.. oops.. out of the box factory should be put in an auto, and should be made to travel 2 rounds in hyderabad end to end. That should be sufficient to prove my point. The roads are in the worst possible shape, resembling a decade older. often you will find potholes varying from half a feet depth to a feet depth in city centre and no one is worried. And now they are thinking of reducing consumption by stopping selling it.

People are buying gold, so one minister wants to curb it by increasing taxes.
The other minister wants to curb consumption of a commodity by stopping selling it.
So what would their solution to rupee downfall? stop using rupee @ night? Onion prices are increasing, so stop selling it in morning hours ?

[blackasta]

I dare say that when a govt starts taking such quixotic decisions, they have actually lost it.

This would only lead to MORE fuel consumption and wastage as everyone queues up in the beginning and end of the filling slot.

Instead of taking such mindless ventures, perhaps the govt should concentrate on curbing corruption, making better roads and making better/faster/cheaper/comfier public transport.
Fuel bills would come down automatically.

[muke31]

Bad idea, what if there is any medical Emergency at night and no fuel for the ambulance?

When they enforce this rule they will ensure all of them are not affected except common people., they will ensure they get fuel anytime for their vehicles and their relatives.

instead of doing all this they should look upon supporting hybrid and electric vehicles and provide all kinds of support to Auto industry for making such vehicles, That should reduce the fuel consumption. they should look at reducing fuel consumption in long run, why not make all states to improve public transport facilities, provide proper road without pothole which should improve fuel efficiency.

-AM

[Drivethru]

This rule was in force for sometime during early 90s if I remember correct. Every new rule or decision announced these days under the pretext of saving forex reserves and reducing trade deficit (exports minus imports) tells us that we completely lost the plot. It could also be that these are half hearted measures as it hardly matters to politicians where rupee goes.

[ramzsys]

I thought the decision to impose duty on imported LCD/LED TVs to solve CAD issue is ridiculous, but this one takes the cake!

[shashank.nk]

Why can't the ministers lead by example and not travel in a fleet of cars ? Shutting fuel pumps at night will only lead to blackmarketing,longer queues at fuel pumps leading to more wastage.

Can't believe he actually thought its worth suggesting!

[Parm]

Aam Adami: Why the food prices going up?
Food Minister: I don't know!

AA: Why so much lawless ness in the country?
Home Minister: I don't know!

AA: Why Rupee loosing its value?
Finance Minister: I don't know!

AA: Whats happening to India?
Prime Minister: I don't know!

Mr. Veerappa Moily also joins the "I Don't Know Club"!