A commuter said while the restored quota gives her greater flexibility, she would still have to keep a close watch on her monthly petrol spending.
PETALING JAYA: For motorists already stretched by rising living and operating costs, the restoration of the subsidised RON95 allocation to 300 litres offers some breathing space, but for high-mileage commuters and diesel-dependent businesses, the relief may still fall short.
Long-distance commuter Kavitha Nair, who travels about 140km daily between Seremban and Petaling Jaya for work, said the additional 100 litres would ease the pressure of managing her monthly fuel expenses after the previous 200-litre limit proved difficult to sustain.
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“I welcome the restoration to 300 litres because the previous 200-litre limit was difficult for people like me who have a long daily commute. The extra 100 litres gives me some much-needed breathing space.”
She said the restored allocation would allow her to stretch her subsidised fuel further into the month, particularly when household expenses begin to pile up.
“For me, that could make a difference to the household budget, especially towards month-end when there are many other expenses to deal with.
“The restored 300 litres would cover a larger portion of my needs, but I would still need additional fuel beyond that.”
The previous 200-litre limit had forced her to find other ways to manage her fuel costs, as cutting down on her daily commute was not an option.
“Once my allocation was used up, I had to find other ways to manage my fuel costs. At times, I would use my husband’s or another family member’s allocation when they had some remaining.”
Kavitha said while the restored quota gives her greater flexibility, she would still have to keep a close watch on her monthly petrol spending.
“The restored quota helps, but for high-mileage commuters such as me, it is not enough to cover everything.”
Meanwhile, Rajesh Kumar, who previously drove a diesel vehicle, said the increase in the subsidised diesel allocation would provide relief to diesel users and businesses that depend on diesel-powered vehicles for daily operations.
“The sudden hike in diesel prices (about RM6.30 per litre) threw a curveball at all diesel users. Many stopped using their diesel vehicles as costs skyrocketed.
“The Budi Diesel mechanism helps a lot by bringing fuel costs back to a more manageable level for daily commuting.”
He said the increased allocation would translate into meaningful savings for diesel vehicle owners, although further measures are needed to help businesses operating commercial vehicles.
“In terms of cost savings, this allocation would provide relief. But for commercial vehicle users, while this may show some fuel cost savings, the government should also tweak the existing diesel subsidy for companies to help reduce operational costs.”
He added that fuel efficiency and vehicle durability have been vital considerations when he was using a diesel vehicle.
“Unlike petrol vehicles, diesel vehicles tend to last longer for my daily journey.” Rajesh said the previous allocation limit had offered some relief but was insufficient, particularly for those who travelled often.
“Once the limit was reached, the price went back to the normal high rate, which added to the costs.
“The current relief is more suitable but many are still hopeful that energy prices would return to normal soon.”
