decline in gas sales as drivers complain of cost

According to local media, the main reasons behind a decline in fuel sales are the completion of the Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR), drivers’ desire to save money, and a recession in Taiwan’s economy.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) collected data on total fuel sales during the period from January to August this year.

The data showed sales dropped from 6,925,279 kiloliters between January and August last year to 6,725,279 kiloliters for the same period this year, a drop of 2.9 percent. The number was a five percent drop from the same period two years ago.

The constant decrease in fuel usage is worrying officials of CPC Corp. (CPC) and Formosa Petrochemical Corporation (FPCC).

“The drop is mainly caused by the common usage of THSR to travel from north to south of Taiwan, as travellers don’t use their cars anymore. Also, more people are using public transportation to get to places within the city, indicating the government’s energy-saving plan has worked,” said the officials.

The MOEA data further showed that a reduction in gas sales is evident in eastern Taiwan, even though THSR isn’t available there.

“The economic recession is causing great damage to the tourism industry in Taitung. Fewer tourists come every year,” the United Daily Evening News quoted a restaurant owner and a resident of 40 years in Taitung, surnamed Chen, as saying.

The Taitung tourism industry has suffered a 15 percent reduction in recent years, caused by an increase in airplane ticket prices, which is also related with a rise in fuel prices, said the Taitung Tourism Association. Legislator Lin Ping-kun of Penghu said: “Tourism in Penghu is facing the same issue, as the number of tourists has dropped 20 percent, as a result of an overall pessimism in the economic environment.”

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