Fuel price rise impact: Maharashtra man commutes to work on horse

Aurangabad, Mar 27: A man in Maharashtra has garnered headlines after commuting to the office on a horse. The reason is - fuel price hike!

As per the PTI report, the price rise and problems in maintaining a motorcycle due to the COVID-19 pandemic-induced restrictions made the man, who works as a lab assistant at a pharmacy college in Maharashtra travel on a horse to the office, every day.

The price of a litre of petrol has reached Rs 115 in Aurangabad after Rs 0.50 hike on Sunday, taking the total increase in rates since resumption of daily price revision less than a week back to Rs 3.70-3.75 per litre.

The rates have been increased across the country and vary from state to state depending upon the incidence of local taxation. To tide over the situation, Shaikh Yusuf has put away his motorcycle and goes to his workplace, located 15 km from his home, riding a horse. He started the practice during the COVID-19-induced lockdown earlier. "Following the lockdown, garages were shut for a long time and the service and maintenance of motorcycle was a problem, even the fuel prices have been going up.

"So, I decided to put away my vehicle and bought a Kathiawadi horse," Yusuf told reporters here. The man said he now travels about 30 km everyday (to and from work) on the horse, and even goes to buy groceries and family functions riding on the animal's back.

"Travelling on a horse is certainly cheaper than moving around on a motorcycle. Also, while commuting on the bike, we sometimes just roam around as it only requires a kick to start it. But, while using the horse for commuting, we think of its health and our health condition too," he said. "Sometimes, children travelling in expensive cars wave at me when I am out on my horse, and I feel happy," Yusuf said.

He also said the growing prices of various commodities can be controlled only when the fuel prices come down. PTI