POLOKWANE – With the fuel price hovering above R14 per litre and with the rand trading just below R11 to the dollar, it seems there will be no relief for consumers in the foreseeable future.
News reports indicate that there could be another increase in April, which would leave consumers even worse off.
Review asked several residents to share their thoughts on the continuously increasing fuel prices and asked whether they thought having a smaller vehicle with a smaller engine capacity was better when it came to fuel consumption.
Pensioners John and Norma Pugh, who are from Margate and are visiting a relative in the city, say since they are on pension they don’t travel as much as they used to, although they agree that the fuel price is quite painful. They say they drive a small hatchback car, which is ideal for them and, above all, very economical.
Emile Booy says it is pathetic what consumers have to fork out these days. He says he travels long distances regularly, such as from Polokwane to Cape Town and the small four-cylinder hatchback Italian-brand car he has is ideally suited to him. “This car saves me a lot on fuel. It is compact enough for my needs, so it is the ideal car for me.”
Lesetja Malatji says the fuel price is bad for everyone. “If the fuel price goes up, so does everything else like food. The increase in fuel prices also has an effect on the public transport. I don’t own a car, but believe me, people who are using public transport also feel the effect of fuel increases,” She says while a smaller car is ideal, if one has a family a larger vehicle is necessary.
Ilse Viljoen says the fuel price is ridiculous. “You must work your budget out according to the heavy fuel price. It is as if the fuel price these days dictates how you must plan your monthly budget. These days your whole lifestyle is influenced by the high fuel price and it take a great percentage from your monthly budget,” she says.
According to Tshepo Meso, the price of fuel must be reduced because it is getting too expensive. He says luckily he drives a small vehicle with a small capacity engine which saves him a lot, although he still needs to budget very carefully.
Elmarie Fourie says she has stopped driving around unnecessarily because of the high fuel price. “And I have heard that another increase is looming again for April. Although I drive a vehicle with a 1800cc turbocharged engine, I think when it comes to the price of fuel, a smaller engine would have been ideal,” she says.
