Industry push to get petrol price drop

motorists kept off the roads during the coronavirus crisis have been advised to hold off on filling up the car, as the state’s peak motoring body pushes for a bigger drop in fuel prices.

RACQ has called on fuel companies to lower prices in Cairns and Townsville, accusing them of failing to pass on savings to motorists during the coronavirus crisis.

According to price monitoring app MotorMouth, the price of unleaded petrol is sitting at a flat 129.9c/L across the majority of Cairns servos.

This is down roughly 10cpl from last month, but RACQ spokeswoman Renee Smith said in both cities, the average price should be no higher than 110c/L.

“Both cities have seen the price of ULP fall by about 10cpl in the past month, but there has been a 32cpl fall in the wholesale price at the same time as the global oil price plummets,” she said.

“Oil prices are at 18-year lows but we are not seeing that reflected at the bowser in Cairns, Townsville and many other parts of the state.

“We have seen price gouging at service stations across the state – we’re not driving as much but that’s no excuse for fuel companies to rip us off.”

Ms Smith said motorists looking to fill up should hold off if they can, saying prices were expected to fall further.

In Ayr, southeast of Townsville, prices reportedly fell below a dollar a litre for the first time in years.

“Those prices are coming down, and we hope them to get down to about 110c/L over the next few weeks,” she said.

“It does take longer to see the impact of global oil prices flow onto the bowser.

“But they have had plenty of time now.”