Tuk-Tuks Run On Natural Gas Instead of Expensive Gasoline in Rafah
(AWP) - Most of the three-wheel auto rickshaws, or tuk-tuks, that drive the streets of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, now have natural gas cylinders instead of fuel systems in place, to guarantee their owners can move smoothly from one place to another.
Reliance on compressed natural gas (CGN) is an alternative solution to the scarcity of gasoline and its high costs. Owners install CGN conversion machines instead.
Karm Abu Eissa, a tuk-tuk driver who was displaced to Rafah, said that circumstances have forced people to adapt their auto rickshaws to run on natural gas so that they can go on with their lives and bring water to their tents.
“The distance between the tents and water is long. I bring water and at the same time work on the tuk-tuk to make a living. One liter of gasoline today is 150 shekels (roughly $40). We cannot afford that. Natural gas is not readily available either, but it is easier to find than gasoline, and the CNG machine is easy to install or undo. Life is becoming hard,” he added.
Tuk-tuk drivers have the CGN conversion machines installed in special workshops, although their prices are high, and they are hard to find.
“I convert tuk-tuks to run on natural gas because of the lack of fuel in the stations, and its high price. People have resorted to this through machines we install on the vehicles. These machines are not commonly available, and their prices are very high,” said Munzir Salah al-Din al-Balaawi, an auto mechanic from Rafah who owns a workshop.
Lack of fuel and water is one of the gravest risks posed to the inhabitants of Gaza, according to the World Health Organization, which has called on Israel to allow the delivery of basic materials to keep hospitals, water stations, bakeries and other facilities working.