#FuelIncrease how has the ever increasing price of fuel affected your travelling?

POLOKWANE – According to the Automobile Association (AA), this will be the the biggest fuel price hike in South Africa’s history and based on the data released last week, petrol users will possibly be paying R1.12 more per litre, diesel users will be hit the hardest with a possible price hike of R1.38 per litre and illuminating paraffin costing R1.17 more.

You may also want to read: Fuel price likely to near R17 in October, says AA

Here is what they had to say.

Thabo Siwela – “ I don’t go out as much and it started with the first petrol increase. At the moment, it has become so difficult to do anything that involves travel without feeling the pinch. The petrol increase could potentially ending many social lives.”

Bernice Struwig: Even though I stay in town, I’d rather stay home than having to drive when it is not necessary.  Fuel has simply become too expensive.

Sipho ‘Hensy Black’ Napo  – I’m an artist and I don’t have a choice but to go out. If I don’t go out, I am literally taking food out of my mouth. I just have to suck up the cost of travel and do it because it’s going to cause more damage to my brand. If you don’t go out and be seen, people are quick to forget about you. “

Granny Lamola – “I use a taxi to travel back and forth and that means because the petrol is so high, then the taxi rates are also high, which is killing us financially. So we do limit our travelling up and down.”

Rebecca Ralefatane – “I utilise a taxi to go to town, work or anywhere else around Polokwane. And with the petrol increase going high, we can barely afford to pay for our own transport fee. I have now decided to go do some shopping at our local shopping complexes footing and back home, than go to town with a taxi, just so that we don’t have to pay that much amount of taxi fees.”

Betty Chauke says that seeing as the petrol price keeps going up she opts to sleeps in town more often instead of going home for weekends as she lives far out of town and it is too expensive to drive to and from work.

Walter Mulaudzi says that he loves taking his children for a drive out of town either to Tzaneen or even Modjajiskloof just to get out for the day. He now plans outings to include shopping or something like that to to make sure that he does not waste petrol. He also makes turns to drive to work with friends instead of using his own car all the time to save money.

Farmer Piet van Tonder and his wife have to drive to town once every two weeks, and this costs him R850 to and from the farm. “The price of all products will rise due to the increase in the fuel price.  This will probably affect our economy negatively. It will also affect job creation negatively.”

Steven Matiapoto is a chemical engineer and has his own manufacturing business. “A huge rise in fuel prices will impact the economy badly. I am forced to drive and to plan my trips to be economical. There is no way I can further economise on trips. The problem is that raw materials’ prices are also going to increase should the fuel price increase. This is a vicious cycle.”

Sabrina Maltjie said, “I use public transport and that means the taxi and bus fare will increase and that will cost me financially as I am student and work on a very tight budget. I will be walking more to places that are not far out and only use public transportation when necessary,” she said.

William Makgaba said that as a business man he will not be extra vigilant with his trips as petrol has become expensive. “Petrol has become expensive however work must still be attended to. One just needs to be extra vigilant and cautious when coming it comes to their trips so that they do not over spend,” he added.

Jackie van der Merwe: “I stay on a plot and drive to the city only when I need to.  If there’s no need, I stay at home.”