Saturday August 23, 2008

Fomca: Government must continue to improve public transport

PETALING JAYA: The Government must continue with its efforts to improve public transportation even though it has lowered fuel prices, a consumer group said.

Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations (Fomca) secretary-general Muhammad Sha’ani Abdullah said with lower petrol prices, people might be encouraged to use cars again.

However, they might be caught when the price rises again.

“The earlier petrol price hike should be a lesson learnt as the significant increase had doubled the inflation rate,” he added.

Muhammad Sha’ani said fuel prices should have been increased progressively in smaller quantum in the first place to avoid such a situation.

Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) said the price decrease would not contribute anything to people who do not have cars.

“These people are from the middle-income group whose priority is food and other necessities,” a CAP spokesman said.

She asked whether goods and service providers, who used the petrol price hike to raise prices would now lower their prices.

“A 15-sen decrease is not that much,” she said.

# posted by share n care @ 7:41 AM