By Ali Imran
ISLAMBAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the immediate inclusion of 20-year-old motorcycles, rickshaws and Qingqi rickshaws in the Prime Minister Fuel Relief Scheme, expanding access to sub-sidised petrol for low- and middle-income groups.
A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s office said that motorcycles, rickshaws and Qingqi rick-shaws registered after January 1, 2006, will be eligible for registration in the relief scheme, as per the premier’s directives
The move will allow individuals operating older two- and three-wheeled vehicles to benefit from the government’s fuel subsidy programme.
The development comes as petroleum dealers began implementing the government’s fuel relief pack-age on Thursday following successful negotiations between the two sides, according to the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA).
The federal government launched the special fuel relief scheme on September 13, offering a Rs100-per-litre discount on petrol for motorcyclists, rickshaw owners and drivers of vehicles with engine capacities of up to 800cc, amid rising fuel prices linked to tensions in the Middle East.
Under the scheme, owners and users of motorcycles, rickshaws and other two- and three-wheeled ve-hicles are eligible for Rs100 per litre in relief on up to 20 litres of petrol per month. Owners of vehi-cles with engine capacities of up to 800cc can receive the same relief on up to 30 litres per month.
The subsidy has been extended to people across the country, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Meanwhile, the SMS service for registration in the petrol subsidy scheme has also been made com-pletely free of cost on the prime minister’s directions.
Applicants can register by sending an SMS in the format ‘REG [space] CNIC number [space] vehicle number plate [space] first letter of province [space] vehicle registration date’ to 9771.
