Rs 100 off a litre: who gets petrol relief at Rs 380.24 and how to claim it on 9771

Petrol is now Rs 380.24 a litre and high-speed diesel Rs 409.42, after OGRA's 14 September revision added Rs 4.42 to petrol and Rs 6.10 to diesel over the rates set on Friday 11 September (Rs 375.82 and Rs 403.32). Since daily pricing began, petrol is up Rs 68.94 a litre and diesel Rs 79.91.

To soften that for people on two wheels and in the smallest cars, the government has started a targeted relief scheme: Rs 100 off every litre, up to a monthly limit, claimed through SMS to 9771.

Who qualifies

• Motorcycles, rickshaws, chingchis and other two- and three-wheelers: Rs 100 off up to 20 litres a month, so a maximum of Rs 2,000.
• Cars up to 800cc (Mehran, Alto, Bolan class): Rs 100 off up to 30 litres a month, a maximum of Rs 3,000.
• The scheme as announced covers only these two groups. Owners of larger cars pay the full price.

The Express Tribune reports the subsidy is planned for three months.

How to register, step by step

1. Use a SIM registered in your own name. The CNIC on the SIM has to match the CNIC you register with.
2. Send an SMS to 9771 in this format: REG <CNIC> <plate number> <province code> <registration date>.
3. Province codes: I Islamabad, P Punjab, S Sindh, K Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, B Balochistan, A Azad Kashmir, G Gilgit-Baltistan.
4. Your vehicle is checked against the provincial Excise record, so the plate and registration date must match your registration book or card exactly.
5. Before each fill, send TOK to 9771 to get a fuel token, and show it at a participating petrol station. The discount shows on the pump.

When it starts where you live

Islamabad went live on the night between Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 September. The rest of the country is due on the night between Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17 September. If you are in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar or Quetta, keep your CNIC and registration card handy for Thursday.

What it is worth

Anything above the quota is charged at the full Rs 380.24. A rider who fills 30 litres a month still pays full price on the last 10 litres (Rs 3,802.40). Work out your own monthly bill with the fuel cost calculator.

The mistakes that get people rejected

• Vehicle not in your name. If you bought a used bike on open letter, the Excise check will not match your CNIC. Transfer ownership first.
• Wrong registration date. Copy it from your registration card, not from memory.
• Borrowed SIM. A family member's SIM will not match your CNIC.
• Paying anyone to "register" you. Registration is a normal SMS to 9771. Ignore websites and agents charging a fee.

The politics around it

Jamaat-e-Islami has rejected the package and says the petroleum levy should be abolished instead, with a march on Islamabad planned for 20 September. Reports of a fuel-saving "smart lockdown" were denied on 15 September by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, who said it was not discussed.

Prices now change almost every working day, so check the latest rate on our petrol price and diesel price pages before you fill up.