Nearly 3,000 petrol stations across Germany are violating a law designed to stop multiple daily fuel price increases, a new investigation has found.
The German government has introduced measures to relieve drivers at the petrol pump after fuel prices shot up in the wake of conflict in the Middle East.
One of them – known as the 12 o’clock rule – prevents gas stations from raising their prices more than once a day.
A price increase can only happen at midday, while gas stations are allowed to lower their prices at any time of day.
However, an investigation by the consumer service Mehr-Tanken has found that 2,995 out of 15,240 German gas stations violated the ban between April 1st and May 11th.
That amounts to a rate of 19.7 percent, meaning nearly one in five gas stations nationwide is flouting the rules.
Overall, 17,000 price hikes at unauthorised times were logged, according to the data compiled from the Market Transparency Agency for Fuels.
The research also shows where gas stations are violating the regulations most often.
The highest share of rule breaking was recorded in Bavaria at 25.6 percent, while Berlin had the lowest rate at 8.2 percent.
‘Poorly drafted law’
Operators are supposed to face fines of up to €100,000 if they raise fuel prices at any time other than noon or more than once a day.
However, gas station representatives reject the allegations – and instead blame the government’s law.
“We have initial indications that we are dealing with the consequences of a poorly drafted law, not with deliberate violations of the rules,” Daniel Kaddik, head of the Federal Association of Independent Gas Stations, told the Sächsische Zeitung.
Price changes are transmitted via the cash register system to vending machines, price displays and fuel pumps. It is only after this point that the Federal Cartel Office may be informed, said Kaddik.
He therefore attributes the investigation’s findings to slow connections or ongoing refuelling operations.
According to Mehr-Tanken, however, the time period from 11:30am to 12:30pm was excluded when gathering data to prevent delayed reports from skewing the statistics.
The government brought in the 12 o’clock rule, which is based on an Austrian model, in response to rocketing energy prices sparked by the Iran war.
Another measure, in force from May through the end of June, reduces tax on diesel and petrol by around 17 cents per litre.
A recent survey found that the cut is now largely being passed on to drivers, after not being fully reflected in prices during the first days of the policy.
READ ALSO: Germany’s ‘fuel discount’ cuts haven’t fully reached customers
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: thelocal.de
