Taxi driver's shock after fuel pump 'surges almost $30 in split-second'
A taxi driver has claimed his fuel pump jumped up more than $25 as he filled up his vehicle at a 7-Eleven petrol station in Sydney’s west.
Khairul Bashar filmed the moment the amount due for his fill up surged to $42.97 from $15.29 in a split-second while at a Penrith petrol station, Nine News reported.
He said it was the second time it had happened to him in recent weeks. The first time, he said staff strongly refuted his claims.
“This has never happened to me before in 25 years of taxi driving,” he told the network.
The first time it happened he contacted the 7-Eleven’s head office, but he said he received a response which indicated a technician had found no issue with the bowsers at the station.
He then filmed his subsequent fill-ups and managed to capture on camera the price, and amount of LPG claimed to have been distributed rocket in under a second.
After initially referring to the findings of their technical subcontractors and Fair Trading NSW who said there was no issue with the pump, 7-Eleven later told Mr Bashar and Yahoo News Australia the two pumps used by the driver had since been “investigated further and rectified”.
The taxi driver was later offered a $43 gift card for his “inconvenience”.
A 7-Eleven spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia Mr Bashar was not charged for either fill-up after voicing his concerns.
Mr Bashar said his complaints were not about the money, but wanted to ensure other Australians were not affected by the alleged issue.
The NRMA’s Peter Khoury said it was “worrying” for Australians who rely on the bowsers being accurate.
He advised motorists to remain vigilant when filling up their vehicles.
Mr Bashar’s claims come as research from the National Measurement Institute found fuel dispensers were under-pouring by 4.8 per cent.
Motorists might also have another price headache looming after an attack on an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman is expected to drive fuel prices up.
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