May 25, 2008 Sunday
Bolton fuel price hits record high
The Bolton News
MOTORISTS are paying record fuel prices this bank holiday weekend, as hikes at forecourts in Bolton take the price for a gallon of unleaded past the £5.20 mark.
A series of crippling increases have seen petrol rocket to 114.0p per litre, with the price for diesel hitting 129.9p at some stations in the borough.
Filling station bosses say they have no option but to increase prices as the cost of a barrel of oil soars.
And the AA last night warned of further likely increases, saying a five dollar leap in the price of oil could add another 2.5p per litre.
Diesel prices in the town have experienced their highest month-on-month increase this century and petrol prices their second highest.
Even those without cars are feeling the pinch; many bus, taxis and haulage businesses have put their prices up as a result.
The unprecedented increases have led to calls from the public for the Government to intervene by scrapping this October's proposed 2p increase in fuel duty.
But Bolton South east MP, Dr Brian Iddon, said it was oil companies taking advantage of a world shortage.
"They are all making enormous profits," he said. "I know it is harming haulage businesses and people on low wages.
"But if we cut tax on fuel we have to make that up somewhere else, meaning we'd have less to spend on public services.
"We have delayed the 2p increase until October from April to give people and the Government some breathing space."
Forecourt data from the AA showed UK drivers were yesterday paying an average of 113.98p per litre of unleaded petrol, up 18% from a year ago, and 126.35p for diesel, making it 30% more expensive than a year ago.
President Edmund King said: "The threat of even higher prices in the pipeline will perch like a vulture above UK forecourts waiting to pick an even bigger hole in the pocket of drivers and consumers."
Charles Oakes is chairman of the Bolton Hackney Carriages Association, which has 108 members in the town.
He said: "Fuel price rises are definitely the driving force in fares needing to go up We'll be applying to Bolton Council for a 10 per cent increases in fares.
"In light of the fuel increases it should be more but we've got to think of the passengers as well. People can't afford it. We've definitely noticed a drop in customers."
In Bolton yesterday the most expensive diesel was 129.90p a litre - £5.90 a gallon - at the Darley Service Station in Albert Road Farnworth, the Farnworth Filling Station in Harrowby Street, Farnworth and the Rishton Lane Service Station in Rishton Lane, Bolton. The same stations were selling the highest priced petrol. A litre of unleaded was 114.9p per litre, £5.22 per gallon.
The cheapest fuel was at Sainsbury's in Trinity Street, Bolton,m where diesel was 121.9p and unleaded 110.9p per litre..
Local businessman Imran Akram, who owns three Shell filling stations in Bolton, said he was making only a minimal profit on selling fuel.
"I only make a mark-up of half a pence per litre," Mr Akram, aged 30, from Chorley New Road. "All the petrol stations get it at the same price. But with oil hitting $135 a barrel, some are taking advantage so it's worth people shopping around."
According to experts 46 per cent of the cost of a litre is fuel duty, which goes to the Government. Of the remainder, 31 per cent goes to the oil company, 15 per cent is VAT and 8 per cent goes to the retailer.
The misery has driven some motorists to take action.
The Bolton News reported yesterday that cleaning contractor, Bryan Griffiths, was so incensed at prices at his local BP filling station in Astley Bridge that he parked his van outside it with a banner urging people to Boycott price-hiking filling stations - shop where it is cheaper'.
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