RAA urges motorists to shop around for cheaper fuel
Adelaide drivers have been urged to shop around for lower petrol prices, with the RAA claiming prices in the city have been unnaturally inflated.
RAA senior analyst Chris West said unleaded prices have stayed at about $1.45/L for the past 10 days.
Mr West said in a normal cycle prices would only be at this price for a few days before dropping.
"There's a clear attempt by the industry to disrupt the fuel cycle, preventing Adelaide motorists from accessing what would normally be the best prices in Australia," Mr West said.
"Most major retailers have been selling unleaded at $1.45/L since 30 August; that's more than a week since the last spike."
Mr West said while many motorists were able to take advantage of prices as low as $1.28/L in the last fuel cycle, they were now being denied of a fair price.
"Motorists should be accessing ULP now for between $1.37/L and $1.39/L right across Adelaide, not just at a few of the smaller independent retailers who are bucking the trend," he said.
"The flow-on effect has seen Canberra's petrol price move from being on par with Sydney, to be the second most expensive mainland capital city for unleaded petrol."
A range of prices across the state
Talkback radio on ABC 891 Adelaide this morning suggested not all South Australian drivers were sympathetic to their metropolitan counterparts.
"Boo hoo, I was in Yulara last week where it was $2.17/L," wrote one listener in a text message.
"Stop whingeing. We people in the country would be happy to pay those prices," wrote another.
A Port Lincoln listener said local prices were $1.54/L while a woman from Robe said she could not remember when it was last below $1.53/L.
One man texted from the Northern Territory where he had recently purchased fuel from a homestead at $2.26/L.
Others agreed that petrol prices were not fair.
"Aren't the oil companies just trying to kill of independents?" texted a listener.
"It's called collusion," wrote another.
Mr West said the Liberty on North East Road at Windsor Gardens, and Ezy Fuel on OG Road at Klemzig were selling at a fair price for this stage of the fuel cycle.
He added that the last city to lose its fuel cycle was Canberra in 2011.
