Pertamax Prices Rise, Motorcyclists Switch to Pertalite and Are Willing to Queue Under the Hot Sun

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The Enggano Public Fuel Filling Station (SPBU) in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, was packed with motorists looking to buy fuel Pertalite on Wednesday (6/4/2022) afternoon.

The queue of motorists snaked outside the gas station and took up part of the road on Jalan Raya Enggano. They were willing to line up to buy Pertalite, even though the sun was scorching hot.

A motorcyclist, Sampurno (61), claimed to have switched to Pertalite since the government decided to increase the price of Pertamax on April 1, 2022.

The high price increase of Pertamax, which is Rp. 3,500 per liter, has made Sampurno willing to heat up to get Pertalite which is sold at a lower price.

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Pertamax is now sold for Rp 12,500 per liter, while Pertalite for Rp 7,650 per liter.

“The increase (Pertamax) is really big, Rp. 3,500. I’d better queue to buy Pertalite,” he said when met at the Enggano gas station, Wednesday (6/4/2022).

In fact, Sampurno admitted that he had been a Pertamax customer for a very long time.

However, due to the significant price increase, he was forced to switch to Pertalite to save on expenses.

“Since I went up, I don’t use Pertamax anymore. So I moved to Pertalite because of the price difference, our expenses are too big (using Pertamax). It’s also economical,” said Sampurno.

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Sampurno also feels that many motorists have made the same decision as him, so the queue at the gas station he subscribes to is longer than usual.

Almost all motorcyclists at the Enggano gas station were queuing up at Pertalite station.

“Now we’re running to Pertalite. When Pertamax was still Rp. 9,000, the line wasn’t this long,” he said. Sampurno hopes that the government will lower the price of Pertamax again.

Another motorcyclist, Lukman Hidayat (23), admitted that he had completely switched to Pertalite since the price Pertamax goes up.

“I used to be Pertalite or Pertamax, but now I’m switching to Pertalite full to be more economical,” he said.

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Lukman said that there were more Pertalite users after the Pertamax price increase. The pu queue is longer than usual.

“Don’t let Pertalite also go up,” he said.

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