Taxi drivers, motorists move from fuel to LPG-powered vehicles to cope with high cost of living

Companies selling Liquified Petrol Gas (LPG) have reported a rise in sales and part of it is being attributed to some motorists opting to convert their vehicles from running on petrol to LPG.

Fuel prices were hiked at the beginning of July following the rise in VAT from 8 per cent to 16 per cent with the passing of the Finance Bill into law. This led to an increase of about Ksh 19 per liter.

The increase in fuel prices has forced many Kenyans to find creative ways of surviving the rising cost of living, and for some, they are turning to conversion of their vehicles from running on petrol to LPG gas.

The gas is not a new concept, with some taxi drivers running their vehicles using LPG.

According to Felix Were, a manager at a gas station, he estimates that In the past three months, approximately 2,000 vehicles in the Nairobi region have been converted from running on petrol to LPG gas. LPG gas is relatively cheaper compared to petrol.

It costs Ksh99 per liter unlike petrol which goes for KES 198 per liter now.

“For the last two months, our conversion department has been busy. People are shifting from petrol to gas. LPG cannot be used without converting the car engines to make it compatible,” Were said.

“The sales (of LPG) have increased by up to 95 per cent,” he added. 

Were explained to Wananchi Reporting the process of converting car engines, saying the vehicle is first inspected to ensure that it is compatible.

 “They consider petrol powered cars and identify parts of the vehicle to fit the LPG knob,” Julius Kamau, a motorist who converted his vehicle’s engine, said.

Even though the gas operates just like petrol, the car needs some amount of petrol to operate effectively.

The gas is not as powerful as petrol hence, it cannot climb a hill or overtake when need be. It has to switch to petrol for such activities.

“I use a small amount of petrol as well. I buy three liters of gas and a half a liter of petrol per day. The gas cannot start the engine when it rests for long,” he added.

 A section of taxi drivers who spoke to Wananchi Reporting said they are happy using LPG. They said that it makes more business sense when compared to petrol.

An LPG gas tank can hold 20 to 25 liters of gas. One liter of the gas covers 12 kilometers.

“I use approximately 10 liters of gas and two liters of petrol. That’s is about KES 1,200 per day. The profit is double the one I earn when I use petrol only for the same task,” Willies Odhiambo said.

 “I use one thousand shillings on gas for a week going to work, it is triple the amount I use buying petrol for a one-week drive,” another motorist, who wished to remain anonymous, reported.

 Nevertheless, the gas can be very risky when instructions are not followed.

Accidents like explosion of engines and leakage can lead to fatal accidents. Drivers are advised during the conversion period to maintain their cars as well.

“We are instructed to maintain the car appropriately. For instance, the engine water should be maintained, failing which, it can explode, smoking in the car is also discouraged. The gas can leak as well,” said Julius Kamau.

“The gas stations also ensure that the car is inspected accordingly before refilling. It can only be refilled when the car is in good condition to operate using the gas.it is also advisable to inspect the car after covering a distance of 30,000 kilometers,” he added.