[whitewing]

Originally Posted by wildsdi5530

The commercial division is making losses in the Indian Railways. The passenger division is highly profitable.
Not sure about KSRTC, but BMTC runs on a profit. In fact there is a profit based bonus for the drivers.

Railways: The freight division consistently makes a profit over the past several years while the passenger division bleeds money.
Since, this thread is on fuel costs, I remember reading an article which mentioned that most of the railway expenditure is on Staff & Pensions (60+%) while fuel costs were only around 20%.

K(arnataka)SRTC and BMTC : They were profitable till a few years ago(or was it only KSRTC?), now, both are in the red. In fact, BMTC is now one of the biggest loss making Govt units(psu/govt undertaking) in Karnataka.
As far as incentive to the staff goes, while the intent has been good (to realize operational efficiencies), the implementation appears to have been exploitative(for a govt organization). In addition there were strikes because the staff has not been paid during the epidemic.

[IamNikhil]

I don't remember the last time I uttered "Full kar do" at the petrol pump!

My regular pump attendant told me yesterday that all usual customers are filling-up the tanks with max 1500-2000/- at the most.

The fuel prices are making household budgets go for a toss!

Not a single Minister or Babu incurs any household expenditure; literally everything is taken care of by taxpayer funds. The very taxpayers meanwhile are being trampled upon by rising costs.

[loki]

What are the options?

A. Crib / vent it out. We might feel better
B. Change our behavior. If Petrol / Diesel is expensive, then we consider switching to Electric/ CNG / LPG or other alternative energy sources
C. Prove a point during elections? Err. Im not sure. Sab neta Chor Hai (Every politician is a T). Kind of applies to the bureaucrats too
D. Believe the system. Whatever is being done is in our best interest.

If you are someone who is struggling to make ends meet then it's a whole new ballgame

[Lobogris]

Simple solutions:
Buy an EV.
Install solar panels if living in an independent house.
Buy a smaller and more fuel efficient vehicle.
Use public transport like the metro when possible.
Use a cycle where possible.
Start complaining to MPs, Tweet, make groups on social media as well as in the community to put pressure on the government (in all probability useless though as they have a thick skin).
PS I bought an EV 6 weeks ago and use the metro extensively regardless of fuel prices.

[NPV]

With Work From Home being the norm and very few driving opportunities, I'm hardly using the car during the last few months. Just realised today when updating the fuel tracker app, that I've tanked up the Dzire just twice since April 2021!

Here are the petrol prices in Bangalore that ​I've paid for the last 3 refills:
April - Rs.93.41
Aug - Rs.105.31
Oct - Rs.109.68

[Dark water]

Diesel past 100 in Pune for the first time!!!
Bull run for the fuel price continues...
Time for government to step in and end agri cess?

[kochup]

Originally Posted by IamNikhil

The very taxpayers meanwhile are being trampled upon by rising costs.

As much as all of us hate the rise in fuel prices, the fact remains this really is a blessing for taxpayers because being an indirect tax, all of us pays the same price for fuel which includes all the taxes.

As per the government, the collateral damage is just an edge condition because from their perspective
a) There are absolutely no protests due to this increase (even for LPG)
b) Usage has not come down drastically (considering WFH and Offline classes)
c) Everybody is out on the roads - Revenge Tourism, trend of people getting out after 18 months stuck at home (fuel prices not withstanding)
d) Demand for ICE vehicles is only growing - 50K XUV700 bookings in 3 hours averaging ~20L/vehicle for M&M (best case mileage ~15km/l), Creta waiting period is now 8 months, no manufacturer has vehicles without waiting periods.

Why are we complaining ?

[aargee]

Refueled Petrol at Davangere yesterday for a whopping Rs 110.979. I'm very glad about TN's CM due to which Petrol costs Rs 104.51

[k_ajay]

Filled petrol in the car today as it had reached reserve (after more than a month and half). Prices have jumped quite some rupees, since i last fuelled up.

Prices today (in Bharat Petroleum fuel bunk):
Petrol: ₹ 109.58. Diesel: 100.43.

[pravarag]

Originally Posted by loki

What are the options?

A. Crib / vent it out. We might feel better
B. Change our behavior. If Petrol / Diesel is expensive, then we consider switching to Electric/ CNG / LPG or other alternative energy sources
C. Prove a point during elections? Err. Im not sure. Sab neta Chor Hai (Every politician is a T). Kind of applies to the bureaucrats too
D. Believe the system. Whatever is being done is in our best interest.

If you are someone who is struggling to make ends meet then it's a whole new ballgame

Even if we make a shift to Electric/CNG/LPG based vehicles, there will be no relief with the prices of those as well. The LPG is being hiked almost every month now, and with the ongoing crisis of power due to coal soon we will see days when per unit cost will definitely start growing in at-least major cities. The dependency on coal for electricity generation has come out like a slap on all the reforms being made to protect the environment so far. We are still over 70 % dependent on burning coal for producing electricity - more the electric vehicles, more will be charging stations, the demand will go up ~ more coal will be excavated from the ground and hence more pollution

[pavanmadhini]

Originally Posted by kochup

As much as all of us hate the rise in fuel prices, the fact remains this really is a blessing for taxpayers because being an indirect tax, all of us pays the same price for fuel which includes all the taxes.

With all due respect, this makes no sense. Under no convoluted perspective is this a blessing for anyone - what you are implying is that we should be happy that the government didn't just increase the income tax rates of the salaried. If the privileged, educated classes posting on Team BHP are feeling the pinch and frustration, I can hardly imagine the plight of the underprivileged or lower economic classes of our country for whom commuting is eating a larger and larger % of their monthly incomes.

Neither the markets nor the XUV700 bookings absolve the government of the widespread pain they are causing with the atrocious taxes on fuels.

[Turbohead]

The Indian car enthusiast should be one of the most patriotic class of people in this nation- pays 67% of tax for fuel while travelling on a tolled road with potholes which accelerates the need to go to the service centre to change the worn out parts taxed at 28%

The most taxed/patriotic individuals would be the daily wage labourers addicted to alcohol(easily 40% of them) who would be paying taxes in multiples of the actual cost of the bottle.

To say that the people in our country don't pay tax is just pure BS.

[Gansan]

How high a fuel price is really high? And how much is a fair price, in everyone's opinion? And if the demand is inelastic whatever be the price, how can we expect the government to reduce prices? Leave alone the fuel offtake, is the sale of vehicles dropping as a result of petrol price? At least if that happens, there will be a pressure from auto manufacturers lobby on the government.

In my opinion a fair price will be Rs 25 per litre. Are we going to get at that price, whichever government is in power? If not, how does it matter if it is 97 rupees or 103 rupees? They will make a cosmetic reduction of a few rupees from time to time, but in general the prices will move north constantly. The alternative is to reduce usage of personal transportation and use more public transport. Currently the pandemic prevents me from that, I still am not able to drum up enough courage to go back to it at least for a few days every week. Many must feel like me. That is the main reason the fuel offtake is still climbing.

To put things in perspective, when I bought my first Ind Suzuki bike in 1986, my monthly salary was a princely Rs 1000 per month. The bike @ Rs 16k cost me 16 months salary. Petrol was Rs 8 per litre. A full tank of 10 litres cost me Rs 80, or 8% of my monthly salary.

Presently a person joining in that same job today will start at about 25-30k. For argument's sake let us say he draws Rs 25k. A similar bike, let us say Splendor, will cost him Rs 65k. Which is not even 3 months salary. For 16 months salary he can buy an entry level car! And a full tank of 10 litres petrol for the bike will cost him Rs 1030, which is about 4% of his monthly salary. I am sure none of the members here will be making less than 25k every month.

So the good old days were not actually so good. Things always look rosy from a distant point in time! People have it much better now due to the expanded economy. We should accept fuel prices are never going to come down, and plan our expenses accordingly.

[Turbohead]

Originally Posted by Gansan

I am sure none of the members here will be making less than 25k every month.

Only if you join IT or equivalent fields. Otherwise, it's far lower. When I started out as a mechanical engineer, I was paid only 12k in 2019. My friends were paid 8 - 10k in the same field. Needless to say, some of us moved on from such jobs. Many still do continue in such jobs.

What most of us are crying about here is to tax these items fairly and with due consideration to the current economic conditions and not according to the whims and fancies of some random bureaucrat.

[wildsdi5530]

Originally Posted by Gansan

To put things in perspective, when I bought my first Ind Suzuki bike in 1986, my monthly salary was a princely Rs 1000 per month. The bike @ Rs 16k cost me 16 months salary. Petrol was Rs 8 per litre. A full tank of 10 litres cost me Rs 80, or 8% of my monthly salary.

To be fair that was an era where income tax was upto 97%. Rice was Rs. 2 per Kg. Mutton was Rs. 26 per Kg. Most of our homes didn't have bathrooms and wee had to use common bathrooms in our society. TVs were a luxury and radio was listened to with friends and family. We used to walk/ cycle to school. Monthly bus pass was Rs.5/-. And still nobody was cribbing like this.