The escalation of fuel price was announced on May 27 by the Energy Department and will be effective as of June 1. The petrol has risen by 52 cents a litre and diesel by 76 cents a litre.
The Department of energy says, “The reason for the fuel price hike is the high crude oil prices which resulted in higher prices (on average) for all the petroleum in the international markets in May 2015 compared to April 2015.”
“The weakening rand against the US dollar affected this rise in fuel and has increased the contribution to the Basic Fuels Price on petrol and diesel by 22.1c/litre, and 20.65c/litre respectively.” According to the Department of Ernegy.
This petrol price increase has come shortly after, “the cost of food in South Africa has increased by 11% in April 2016.” According to the statistics South Africa.
Happy Mazomba, a driver from Jabavu said, “This fuel price fluctuation is really frustrating, because while he was still getting accustomed to the previous slight fuel price decrease, the fuel has increased once again, and this increase is higher than the previous decrease while the other basic needs prices are almost unaffordable.”
Another driver from Jabavu, Lucky Sibisi says, ” Even though I have a car, I often need to use the taxis, because the price I am paying now for petrol has almost doubled, even the taxis to Johaannesburg cost more than they used to.
It comes with no doubts that after the fuel price hike, other prices have to increase as well especially taxis. Sibusiso Mtshali, a taxi driver whose route is from Jabavu to Johannesburg says, “This petrol price fluctuation always affects the taxi industry, but we do not fluctuate our prices often now because of our competition especially Rea Vaya which was subsidised by the government. Because of this subsidy, their prices don’t change according to the fuel price and the taxi industry stands to lose more of their customers to their competitors if they increase their prices because of the fuel hike.
The fuel price fluctuation is inevitable, but according to local motor mechanics, “people can save petrol by purchasing petrol efficient motor vehicles, making fewer trips, avoiding the rush hour, closing the Windows and sunroof and sticking to the speed limit.”
