Fuel price hike for school rush

PETROL stations are slugging families with inflated fuel prices as they head back to school.

Southeast Queensland is going through a peak petrol price cycle again, and in some parts motorists are paying about 20 cents more than they were a week ago.

According to the RACQ, the fair price for fuel in Toowoomba at the moment is 134.2cpl with no service stations in the 4350 post code offering fuel at this price.

The RACQ named Coles service stations and BPs as the worst offenders when it came to jacking up prices.

RACQ spokeswoman Renee Smith said it was time to start boycotting the big players when their prices were unreasonable.

“What we usually see is Coles and BP putting their prices up and everyone following,” she said.

“We need to use people power to bring down prices whenever we can.”

A Coles spokesman declined to respond and referred inquiries to the Australasian Convenience

❝We need to use people power to bring down prices whenever we can. — Renee Smith

and Petroleum Marketers Association for comment on its behalf.

A BP spokeswoman said generalisations about fuel pricing were challenging as they didn’t provide “a complete or necessarily accurate picture”.

“A generalised approach would miss the differences between local areas and sites, and not take into account the full price cycle,” she said.

According to the RACQ the three most expensive fuel stations in Toowoomba yesterday were the Caltex at 877 Ruthevn St, BP East Toowoomba on Bridge St and BP on High St.

All fuel stations were selling fuel for more than 143.0cpl.