Diesel purchase caps and fuel shortages at certain service stations are cited as reasons for long-haul express bus trips possibly facing delays, reports NST.
According to Pan Malaysian Bus Operators Association (PMBOA) president Datuk Mohamad Ashfar Ali, the government’s 150-litre cap per purchase forces some operators to make additional refuelling stops. This is further complicated by some stations lacking sufficient diesel supply and the fact that Subsidised Diesel Control Scheme (SKDS) fleet cards are tied to specific brands.
“If a bus is travelling from Johor to Penang and the operator’s fleet card can only be used at Petron, the driver cannot refuel at Petronas or Shell. This means the driver will need to look for another Petron station, and this will affect travel time,” he told the news outlet.
He went on to say that if a driver had no choice but to refuel at a station where the fleet card was not accepted, the express bus operator would have to foot the bill. At present, the unsubsidised price for B10 and B20 grades of diesel is RM6.72 per litre in Peninsular Malaysia until April 15, while it is RM2.15 per litre for SKDS fleet card holders.
“Short-distance services are unlikely to be significantly affected, but long-haul routes will require more careful planning as they depend on higher diesel consumption and fixed schedules,” said Ashfar, who pointed out that the subsidised diesel quota of 6,000 litres per bus per month was sufficient for most operators. “The challenge now is ensuring timely journeys, especially for long-haul trips. We hope the public understands these challenges,” he added.
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When will the similar Budi Madani RON95 be implemented for Diesel wit mycard? Why so slow to implement? Not rocket science, use same approach lah. Rakyat is in pain now for those that need to fill up with Diesel. Hurry up to implement faster. Have more urgency. RM6.72 per liter is no joke.
Priority for subsidised diesel supply is given to commercial goods & passenger vehicles. If the same supply is extended to the owners of private diesel vehicles, the overall supply may be further strained. Diesel is more expensive than petrol because at the refineries, a barrel of crude oil can only yield 40 to 45L of diesel as compared to 70 to 75L of petrol.
Hmm. Speaking from someone who is a T5 and don’t feel the pain of regular rakyat.
Hmm.. Many of the regular rakyat marhaen ride on motorbikes which run on petrol & won’t care much about diesel.
what govt should actually to do – “Hurry up to implement solar and EV faster. Have more urgency”
who ask the company to take Petron fleet card? Petronas or Shell ok what.