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Who will be first to give in to petrol pressure?
b11-858 Census Rising petrol prices
ONE month after the Times & Citizen launched its campaign to bring Bedford’s petrol prices in line with other towns – and fuel bosses show no sign of budging.
Despite a wave of support from residents, and the campaign being officially adopted by Bedford Borough Council last week, fuel prices have continued to rise.
And when the Times & Citizen visited 11 outlets in Bedford and Kempston this week they all had petrol prices higher than those available in both Luton and Milton Keynes.
Times & Citizen editor Jim Stewart said: “People in the borough are clearly fed up with paying more for their petrol than they would if they lived or worked in other nearby towns.
“Nobody has been able to give a good reason why Milton Keynes or Luton motorists pay less. It seems that Bedford’s drivers are expected to just like it or lump it.
“Who will be the first to buck the trend and charge a fair price for petrol? Whoever it is, we will be the first to let people know – online, via Twitter and in the T&C – and they will quickly notice the result as more and more motorists take their custom there.”
Seven of the petrol stations visited by the Times & Citizen were charging 136.9 pence per litre for unleaded petrol on Tuesday.
Motorists could save one penny per litre by buying fuel at either of the two Tesco supermarkets, Esso in London Road, or Total in Elstow Road.
Mayor of Bedford Dave Hodgson spoke at Borough Hall last week, when councillors voted to back the T&C initiative by writing to fuel retailers and request an explanation why Bedford Borough residents are paying more for their fuel.
He said: “We currently have an unacceptable situation whereby local residents in and around Bedford are forced to pay typically around five pence per litre more for petrol, and around four pence more for diesel, than drivers in nearby towns.
“Fuel bills make up a large part of many residents’ household budgets, while higher prices here are also bad for local businesses.
“We will now be taking this issue up with petrol stations.
“I am hopeful that the more that the media, the council and residents stand up and say: ‘This is not acceptable,’ the more likely they are to do the right thing and bring prices down.”
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Weather for Bedford
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 12 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South west
