 KIRAN PANDAY |
Shiva Ram Shrestha started e xperiencing the same problem with his bike which is less than three weeks old. When he took his bike to the showroom he was told that there are 80 bikes in line before him with similar problems. The company told both Dulal and Shrestha that their engine died because they have been using petrol adulterated with turpentine.
Over 150 motobikes break down in the Valley every week with this problem. When the fuel in the tanks of the bikes were tested they were all found to be adulterated. Workshop owners say that in the last 15 days the number of bikes with bad valves, start-up problems, engine ceasing to work have increased.
When there was scarcity of fuel in Kathmandu, the workshops used to see many motorbikes with similar problems. Authorised dealers of Hero Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Bajaj say that 95 percent of the motorbikes sold during Dasain have come back to them with the problem.
The colourless turpentine is easy to mix with petrol and is only Rs 30 per litre, much cheaper than the Rs 95 per litre petrol. The owners of the motorbikes have sent letters to various ministries. They have demanded that the supply of adulterated oil be stopped immediately. Although the government has tightened the supply of turpentine motorcycle dealers say that many tankers are still coming in.
Hero Honda dealer Laxman Ratna Tuladhar says if the engine is damaged due to adulterated oil, it is not covered by the company under warranty repairs so it costs the customer over Rs 12,000 to fix. Supplies Minister Rajendra Mahato has requested all consumers to ask for a receipt from the petrol station when they put gasoline, "If there's a receipt, it is easier to track the petrol station down and penalise them," says Mahato. Similarly, motorcycle dealers are requesting their customers to only refill in gas stations they trust
