MEP for Ireland North West, Jim Higgins, is calling for an investigation to be carried out into the “petrol price rip-off faced by Galway city motorists”.
Hitting out this week at the high levels of prices at Galway pumps MEP Higgins said that he has written to the Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey, and Galway West TD Frank Fahey, the chair of the Oireachtas Transport Committee, to request an investigation.
“In the course of a year, my work takes me to many different parts of the country, and without fail, the prices at the pumps in Galway are always a few cent above the average price in other Irish towns. Why is this the case? What is the justification for charging around five cents extra to the litre, just because it is being sold in Galway,” asked MEP Higgins who sits on the European Parliament’s Transport Committee.
Higgins said there seems to be a real lack of competition in the motor fuel market in Galway. He said that on January 1 he noted that the price of petrol in a garage in Tralee was 137.9 cent a litre while the Galway branch of the same chain was selling the same litre of petrol for 144.9. The same was noted for diesal which sold for 130.9 in Tralee but was 136.9 at the same chain in Galway.
“Any Galway driver who checks the price of a litre will tell you of their surprise at the ‘cheapness’ of fuel outside the city. Even petrol stations in places where tanker delivery costs considerably more, such as Carna, are cheaper than in the city.
“High fuel prices have a knock-on effect for businesses, taxi drivers, and the general public. This means that Galway is a less attractive place to do business,” said Higgins, who added that it was high time that a proper investigation takes place to prevent this “daylight robbery” from continuing.
