#FuelPriceHike – Government suggests replacing your car with a better one

Following the latest fuel price hike that has set South African petrol prices at record highs, the government’s official Twitter page has shared a set of fuel-saving tips that South Africans aren’t warming up to.

The first tip advised South Africans to measure the fuel consumption of their vehicles and consider replacing their cars with more modern, high-technology, and fuel-efficient products.

No word on what those products may be but the chances are, most South Africans won’t be able to afford them.

The price of petrol has seen five consecutive increases in recent months and locals have a number of other expenses to settle including things like rent, food, school fees (in the case of parents and guardians), and a number of other necessities that don’t come cheap.

A report by FNB published earlier this year stated that South African middle-income earners spend a large chunk (about 40%) of their of their income on food and transport which meant they were hit the hardest by the regular increases related to these expenses. Stats SA echoed this by revealing that after housing and food, transport took up the largest chunk of the budget in most South African households.

According to Stats SA, the country’s GDP contracted by 0,7% in the second quarter of 2018 and the trickle down effect left the country in a “technical recession”.

Based solely on the aforementioned conditions, where are South Africans supposed to find the money to purchase “modern, high-technology, fuel-efficient products”?

And we can’t even consider debt, because although the number of credit-active consumers on National Credit Regulator’s (NCR) database has dropped in recent years, the stats do not account for those who have racked up credit through informal structures.

However, not all the fuel saving tips were unreasonable.

The government, along with the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) suggested avoiding unnecessary journeys, servicing your car according to the manufacturer’s recommended schedule, checking tyre pressure regularly, moderating your speed, and using air conditioning sparingly.

To view the rest of the tips, you can head over to the government’s news website.

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