Mumbai gets its seventh fuel price hike in less than two years.

Talk about getting ripped off in the name of good health and a long life. That’s exactly what’s happened to Mumbaikars who, last month, faced their seventh fuel price hike in less than two years. The oil industry has conveniently passed on to the consumer the cost of producing environmentally friendly fuel, which has lower levels of sulphur and benzene. Mumbai is now by far the most expensive place in the country to tank up your car.

No doubt, the effect of clean fuel on air quality will be immediate as all vehicles, old and new, will stand to benefit. But should we be paying for clean air? Isn’t it a basic right that every citizen should have? In fact, when unleaded fuel was first introduced in Europe it was cheaper than leaded fuel, the idea being to encourage its use. In this case, where clean fuel is now Rs 1.12 paise more expensive in the metropolis, it will encourage car owners who drive beyond city limits to top their tanks on the outskirts and bring dirty fuel back into town to burn.