Vic: Petrol price hike expected today

AAP General News (Australia)
04-26-2006
Vic: Petrol price hike expected today

MELBOURNE, April 26 AAP - A peak motoring body has advised drivers to fill up as soon
as possible amid predictions petrol prices could climb to $1.45 a litre today.

Victoria's RACV said pump prices were low in the morning round-up across all Australian
capital cities, but some Melbourne motorists had since complained that service stations
had put prices up to 144.9 cents.

The average price at 8am (AEST) in Melbourne was 131.1 cents a litre, 131.9 in Perth,
131.0 in Sydney, and 129.8 in Adelaide, RACV figures showed.

RACV manager of government and corporate relations David Cumming said service stations
in Melbourne usually put up their prices on Wednesdays under the normal price cycle.

Last Wednesday, he said, one service station chain raised its price at 11am and the
rest of the major chains followed at 3pm.

Mr Cumming predicted rises today could result in some outlets increasing their prices
to $1.45 a litre.

He said independent outlets usually kept their prices lower, and predicted they would
cap their pump price at $1.42 today.

"It's up to the others how high we go - it's a matter of them working out their strategies,"

he said.

"It will be a hell of a shock to Victorian motorists, and of course it won't just happen
here, it will happen all across Australia."

Mr Cummings said prices would normally start to come down again on Thursday morning or Friday.

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KEYWORD: PETROL

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