Truck Talk Australia: Oil companies gone too far

"Sydney Morning Herald"

Arrogant oil companies realised they had gone too far and allowed petrol prices to fall over the Easter long weekend, the president of the NRMA, Alan Evans, said yesterday.

The NRMA said petrol prices had risen between 15 and 20 cents a litre last Thursday, reaching an average of about $1.50 per litre.

The federal Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs, Chris Bowen, denied drivers were being ripped off, saying the price rises were part of the weekly cycle.

But the NRMA said the cost had soared above the average weekly cycle. "We used to see the normal price cycle as being 4 to 7 cents over the week. Lately it's gone up to 10 cents, but we've certainly never seen 15 to 20 cents as we saw on Thursday," Mr Evans told ABC radio.

"Sydney Morning Herald"