While it is obviously a relief for buyers to pay lower prices, both the food price cap and the fuel cap caused some problems.Continue reading
The Association of Independent Petrol Stations’ President considers the government’s decision to allow only cars with Hungarian registration plates to fill up with price-capped fuel unenforceable, reports HVG.
Gábor Egri, President of the Association of Independent Petrol Stations, said that the decision to allow only cars with Hungarian license plates to fill up with petrol at the price set by the authorities is insoluble and unfeasible.
The President said that when filling up, drivers first insert the petrol nozzle into their car, then fill up and go to pay. If they fill up with petrol at the official price and the number plate is not Hungarian, there is not much they can do afterward.
Then should we call the police on them? Suck the fuel out of the tank?”
asked Egri, who said that it is not a solution to have two different prices at the same pump either. According to Egri, this raises consumer protection issues, as customers must be informed about the price of petrol available at the pump. And if they had to check the plates before filling up, not only would they have to put up gates in many places, but it would also make fueling take much longer.
According to the president, enforceable regulations are needed, but with the government not having consulted the experts, he sees little chance of this.
Gábor Egri expects queues and a shortage of goods in the summer when the holidays are expected to increase the traffic at stations: he said that MOL only refunds 60 percent of its newly contracted wells’ order requirements, which means that it can only supply so much. This is expected to lead to shortages at a number of wells and is the reason why volume restrictions have been introduced at several wells. In addition, the agricultural harvest season is coming, which will increase the demand for diesel even more.
The head of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office, Antal Rogán, also spoke about the government’s recent decisions, including the changes to the petrol price freeze, in a briefing on Thursday evening.
At the event, Rogán specified that only the official price can be displayed on the signs visible from the road. However, anyone who comes to the station inside to refuel at the pump will see the higher price.
A notice must inform consumers that drivers with Hungarian registration plates will be charged the reduced rate. When filling up, they will see a different price, but at the time of payment it will be reset to the HUF 480 price, the ministry chief explained. The petrol station attendant will be able to check the registration number of a car with Hungarian plates, but if not, and if necessary, he or she will be able to prove whether the car is Hungarian-registered or not by showing the registration license.
Fact
Rogán also said that the reason for the short-notice announcement (only one day before it is to be implemented) concerning foreign-registered drivers is to prevent a build-up of foreign-registered motorists.
We will undoubtedly have a debate with the EU on this,”
Rogán said regarding the government’s new decision.
Featured illustration: István Kéri car mechanic sticks the sticker certifying the test on a car at the Hungarian Automobile Club’s test station in Berda József Street, district IV on March 6, 2013. Photo by Zoltán Máthé/MTI
