Country’s dearest petrol station closes its pumps

LIMERICK filling station manager Pete McDonagh yesterday pulled the plug on the country’s dearest petrol outlet.

On Thursday, the station on the Tipperary Road, owned by Pat Keogh, was selling unleaded petrol at 137.2c a litre.

Yesterday morning after he went on the Gerry Ryan Show on RTÉ radio to explain why his petrol was dearest, Mr McDonagh closed down the pumps.

Mr McDonagh said they had a lease agreement with Irish Shell to sell their product, but he believed the company was trying to force him out of business.

“If they are selling to the public for 117c and they’re selling to me for 129c I can’t make any other deduction than they’re trying to force me out,” he said.

Mr McDonagh said he had tried to contact Irish Shell without success. “I have every intention of not selling any petrol until we hear from Shell,” he said.

“We are dictated to with regard to the price they give to us. We’re buying petrol from Shell for 129c a litre and we have to make a certain amount of money on that to make it a viable business.

“Even the 6% we charge over that, which makes it 137c retail, doesn’t even pay our forecourt attendants.

“Shell are effectively selling petrol to us for 129c a litre but they’re selling it three miles away for 117c per litre.

“We would be better off, if we had a petrol tanker, going to the garage three miles up the road and filling our tanks. We’d make better money.”

Under a lease agreement, signed 13 years ago, “we have no say over the price they charge us for petrol.”

A spokesperson for Irish Shell was not available for comment.