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Gas nears $5 mark
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Posted on Oct 06 2021
The CNMI continues to see an increase in fuel prices, with prices nearing the $5 mark, the highest the CNMI has seen in over a year.
Mobil Oil Marianas took the lead with the 7 cent increase late Monday evening.
According to a Mobil gas attendant, Mobil raised it prices from $ 4.85 a gallon of their Extra fuel to $4.92. Mobil also raised its Supreme fuel from $5.30 to $5.37 while its diesel also went up from $5.06 to $5.18.
Although Shell Marianas has yet to raise its process as of press time, the two oil companies have traditionally mirrored each other’s price fluctuations. If this still holds true, Shell is expected to raise its fuel prices today.
A 40-year-old motorist said that, with fuel prices constantly rising by the month, she fears that there will come a day when she has to choose whether to pay for fuel or to pay for groceries.
“Fuel shouldn’t reach $5. With $5, you can buy ingredients to make a meal for your family. Now imagine how many gallons an average sedan would need to get by for a week and multiply that by $5. You could easily use up your allowance for food for the week on a full tank of gas if this trend continues,” she said.
Another motorist, a 37-year-old male, said the CNMI has no other choice but to deal with fuel prices because personal vehicles are the only means of transportation.
“It’s not like we have buses or subways that we can opt to go for. We have to depend on personal transportation or illegal taxi and even then, taxis have raised their prices too. We really have no other choice but to live with the price of fuel even if it’s a struggle,” he said.
His companion, a 16-year-old, chimed, in saying even walking could possibly be dangerous because of heat stroke.
“There’s also the danger of heat stroke. Imagine, on a regular day, Saipan’s temperature could easily go up to 90-plus degrees. What happens if you have to walk from one village to another in that heat; you could pass out,” she said.
