Eagle-eyed motorists helping NSW clampdown on unfair fuel pricing
Careful drivers are helping enforce a major crackdown on unfair fuel prices in NSW.
Road users in the state helped authorities trap nearly 100 servos who lied about fuel prices through the government’s transparency scheme.
The government’s FuelCheck app allows drivers to access up-to-date information on how much fuel costs on bowsers, and station owners are obliged to inform authorities.
However, they could face fines if it is proven to authorities that they told authorities different amounts than the fees they received from punters at the pumps.
To date, 4600 site inspections have been carried out by NSW Fair Trading, resulting in more than 270 fines being issued.
And nearly 100 of those came as a result of members of the public reporting when they noticed something wrong.
“Our inspectors are working around the clock to check compliance at petrol stations to eliminate price discrepancies in every corner of the state,” said NSW Fair Trading commissioner Natasha Mann.
“FuelCheck is a crucial tool that puts power back into the hands of drivers.”
It was also revealed that gas stations in regional areas were trying to take advantage of their remote locations to circumvent fair pricing rules; one claimed there was a 24 cent difference from what they actually charged.
Newly released data from NSW Fair Trading has revealed a disproportionate amount of fines are being issued to rural stations compared to metropolitan Sydney.
As the organization continues to crack down on unfair pricing through its FuelCheck program, an imbalance has emerged where crime occurs.
Although the share of inspections carried out in Sydney and rural areas is roughly equal, those outside metropolitan areas consume the lion’s share of fines.
New figures show nearly 70 per cent of more than 4,600 site inspections and re-inspections were at stations in regional areas.
NSW Fair Trading also revealed the areas where the highest fines were imposed for breaches of fair pricing rules.
The Southern Highlands and South Coast recorded the largest numbers (33 in total); Most of these are due to discrepancies between prices at the pump and prices registered with FuelCheck officials.
Under the program, service stations are required to upload what they charge to the government’s FuelCheck app, allowing drivers to access prices.
If it is determined that the advertised amount is not the same as the price on the bowser, a fine may be imposed.
Servos in the Riverina and the Central West were also among those with the most price discrepancies, with 30 and 21 penalties respectively.
Meanwhile, one retailer in the Murray area has been revealed to have a huge 24 cents per liter difference between the price he claimed and the actual price.
NSW Fair Trading Minister Anoulack Chanthivong said fair pricing starts with “fair dealing on the part of the stockbroker”.
“The sheer number of fines imposed shows that the Minns Labor government will not back down,” he said.
Inspectors found repeat offenders in several areas including Cooma, Lismore, Kelso, Newcastle, Goulburn and Port Kembla.
