PM’s Sasta Petrol Scheme brings breathing space to low-income commuters in KP
PESHAWAR (APP): Before the streets of Peshawar become crowded with commuters, taxi driver Bilal Khan is already thinking about petrol to fulfill his family basic needs.
For him, fuel is not simply a cost of running a vehicle rather it is a daily investment in his livelihood. Every rupee spent at the petrol pump is money that cannot be spent on food, children school expenses or other household needs.
That calculation has now become somewhat easier with the launch of the Prime Minister’s Special Fuel Relief Scheme, which is providing Rs100-per-litre relief on petrol to eligible low-income users of motorcycles, rickshaws, other two- and three-wheelers and vehicles up to 800cc, benefting millions.
Extended nationwide, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, the historic PM’s Sasta petrol scheme has been welcomed by millions of workers whose incomes depend on keeping their vehicles on the road.
For taxi driver Bilal in Peshawar and rickshaw drivers Ehtisham Ali in Nowshera, Waris Khattak of Nowshera bedides loader Munhamir Khan of Charsadda, the much needed relief comes at a time when rising fuel costs due to Middle East conflict have put additional pressure on daily earnings.
They described the landmark initiative as a positive step for workers who depend on their vehicles to feed their families besides fulfill children school fees.
For a rickshaw driver waiting for passengers, a delivery rider navigating crowded roads or a motorcycle rider travelling to work, the impact of expensive petrol extends far beyond the fuel station.
“When fuel becomes expensive, it becomes difficult to meet household expenses after paying for petrol,” taxi driver Noorul Haq told APP, welcoming the reduction in fuel costs.
He said any saving on petrol products could help drivers manage their daily operating expenses, while calling for strict action against petrol stations that refuse subsidised fuel to eligible consumers.
He demanded sealing of all such petrol pumps.
For retired schoolteacher, Riazul Haq, the importance of the scheme lies in the modest but meaningful space it can create in the budgets of low-income families.
“People who use motorcycles, taxis and rickshaws for earning their livelihood have to spend a considerable portion of their income on fuel. Any reduction in this expense gives them some room to manage other household needs,” he said.
Under the landmark scheme, an eligible motorcycle user can receive relief more than Rs2,000 per month, while an eligible small-car user can receive more than Rs3,000.
For a household already balancing food, transport, education and other essential expenses, such savings can make a noticeable difference.
The landmark scheme has been designed as targeted relief rather than a general reduction in petrol prices, with the focus on vulnerable segments such as delivery riders, rickshaw drivers and families dependent on motorcycles and small vehicles.
In a household where a motorcycle is used to travel to work, buy groceries, take children to school or run small errands, the vehicle can effectively become a lifeline.
The scale of potential demand of petroleum products in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is considerable. The provincial Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department has reported more than 904,000 registered vehicles, including private and commercial vehicles.
Although the figure does not separately identify all vehicles eligible under the relief programme, it reflects the size of the province’s registered vehicle base.
National survey data also highlighted the importance of motorcycles in everyday mobility. A Gallup & Gilani Pakistan survey conducted in April 2025 among motorcycle-owning households found that 86 percent of respondents said they personally drove their motorcycle for financial and domestic requirments.
The government has introduced a digital registration mechanism for the landmark scheme. Applicants are required to provide their CNIC number, vehicle registration number, province of registration and registration date. The information is then checked through relevant government databases before a fuel token is issued.
PML-N Nowshera President Hamza Khan said the registration and redemption process designed to make it easier for eligible citizens to access the subsidised fuel.
After registration, eligible consumers receive a token through SMS, which can be presented at a petrol station to obtain fuel under the relief scheme.
The government has also directed authorities to establish facilitation desks and improve public awareness so that eligible citizens do not face unnecessary difficulties during registration or redemption.
The digitally managed system is intended to ensure that the subsidy reaches eligible consumers while reducing the possibility of misuse, with the federal government was bearing the cost of the programme.
But for people like taxi driver Bilal, the success of the scheme will ultimately be measured in much simpler terms.
It will be measured in how much money remains in his pocket at the end of the day.
For a rickshaw driver waiting for his next passenger in Nowshera, or a motorcycle rider heading to work in Peshawar, Rs100 saved on every litre can mean taking more money at home.
And when household budgets are already stretched, that little bit of breathing space can matter for millions.
As the scheme takes effect across the province, beneficiaries said its real test will be whether eligible people can receive the promised relief smoothly without delays, refusals by petrol pumps or unnecessary complications.
For millions of low-income commuters, the expectation is straightforward that the promised Rs100-per-litre relief reaches the people for whom every litre of petrol represents a significant share of a day’s earnings.
