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Drivers warned on dearest-ever petrol - COMMENT ON THIS STORY
MOTORISTS in the Scarborough area have been warned petrol prices could hit their highest ever.
The AA is predicting an imminent rise in prices which will see unleaded cost 1.20 a litre or more within days.
Average prices in Scarborough yesterday stood at 115.5p a litre for unleaded and 116.4p for diesel, according to PetrolPrices.com.
Unleaded reached its peak in July 2008 when forecourt prices hit 119.7p a litre, however that is set to be topped soon, according to a recent AA report.
The moves come despite the price of oil, which is little more than half of what it was in July 2008, costing just 78 dollars a barrel compared with 147 dollars a barrel when fuel prices last peaked.
Monthly fuel prices in Scarborough have been on the rise since January 2009 when the cost of unleaded hit an three- year low of 85.7p a litre. Each following month saw in increase in prices, with average local prices for last month coming in at 111.5p a litre for unleaded and 113.5p a litre for diesel.
Motorists will be hit with a further blow when a proposed 3p increase in petrol duty comes in to force on April 1.
The predicted hike is likely to affect businesses and individuals in Scar- borough both directly and indirectly.
Julie Banks, manager of Dial a Ride, a charity which runs a minibus service to help disabled or retired people get out and about, said: "We look at our fares each year in June and take a decision what to increase our fares to.
"We always try our best to absorb any big increases ourselves because we don't think its fair to our passengers to pass on the burden.
"With this latest increase will have to run as efficiently as we can so the increases wont be passed on. We will have to look at taking different routes and make sure we aren't running empty. It will be a challenge."
Linda McLaughlin, a director of Scarborough haulage firm TEF Transport, is joining MPs and motoring groups across the country in calling for Chancellor Alistair Darling to delay the 3p petrol duty increase.
She said: "It would be great if the increase could be delayed as petrol prices are already rising towards their peak. Adding the duty would definitely push costs beyond any previous peak, which will cause big problems for people.
"Fortunately for us most of our big contracts have a fuel surcharge in place. However the costs will then only get passed on to whatever our customers are manufacturing.
"One way or another someone is going to lose out."
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Weather for Scarborough
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North east
