Councillors slam fuel price hikes at the pumps

“Anticipation” was the reason a councillor was given for a local petrol station increasing its fuel prices, despite not receiving any fuel delivery.

High prices were criticised by councillors during a short discussion at their recent monthly meeting.

Cllr Brendan Fay (IND) said prices increased three times in 12 hours at a local filling station.

Cllr Peter McVitty (FG) meanwhile told the meeting of an interaction he had with a man who claimed the price of petrol went up by four cent during the time he spent getting a coffee in another filling station last week.

Again, no fuel delivery had been received. “He checked the price of fuel on the way in and went and got a cup of coffee. When he went out to the car he looked at it and the petrol had gone up four cent.

“I would like to know, what’s the justification for that? Who is responsible for that and why did it happen?”

Cllr Fay again called for measures, similar to those in the pub trade, where prices cannot suddenly be increased.

“I was in a forecourt and I saw the lady putting up the price and I said ‘you didn’t get a fill of fuel’ and she said ‘no. Anticipation Brendan, anticipation’. That’s exactly what she said. It went up three times in 12 hours.”

Councillors agreed to write to the Minister for Finance to urge him to implement measures in the upcoming budget.