Petrol sales now allowed all week-end

Press, 26 August 1980, Page 1

Petrol sales now allowed all week-end

Parliamentary reporter The Government on Saturday will lift its ban on the week-end sales of petrol,. and remove all restrictions on the sale of motor spirits. The level and security of supply of fuel stocks meant it was now appropriate to lift virtually all restraints, gy (Mr Birch) yesterday, said the Minister of Ener-

Restrictions will still remain on avgas and kerosene, although the avgas allocation limit will be raised from 110 per cent of 1979 levels to 120 per cent Kerosene will remain at 100 per cent of 1979 deliveries. Allocations will be lifted entirely on motor spirits, automotive diesel (other than for use in marine bunkers and for com-

fort heating), and gasworks naphtha. Diesel, > avgas, and motor spirit measures will come into effect immediately. Mr Birch said that fuel i conservation measures had f been introduced solely for reasons of insufficient stocks and insecurity of I ■ supply, not as a price control measure. However, it was still important for

motorists to lower the consumption of imported fuels. “Motorists should try to maintain their present patterns of petrol buying,' and where appropriate consider the compressed natural gas alternative,” Mr Birch said. Mr B. B. Halliday, chairman of the service station division of the Canterbury

branch of the Retail Motor Trades Association, said it was doubtful that many Canterbury service station owners would open on Sundays now that the restrictions had been lifted. “It would not be economic,” he said. Petrol profit margins for the retailers, and employees’ wages, had altered considerably since garages were last

allowed to sell petrol on Sundays. Mr Halliday had surveyi ed some owners. Most could not afford to open ■ on Sundays, “but there will be some who will,” • he said. The lifting of restric- ■ tions might be a mixed blessing for members of r the Canterbury Moteliers’ Association. The president

(Mr J. W. Davies) said that although it would make things more comfortable for the traveller, some city motels had benefited from the sales ban. Travellers “stayed put” an extra night because they could not get far on the Sunday under existing regulations. More trade reaction, Page 6