Increased air travel and ‘green’ cars blamed for high diesel costs

THE increasing popularity of air travel and policies to encourage the sale of “greener” cars are being blamed for high diesel prices.

The price of diesel overtook that of petrol on the forecourts last year and is retailing at about 10c more per litre throughout the country.

While petrol and diesel prices have slowly fallen in recent days — down from an average of 133.5c a litre (petrol) and 143.8c a litre (diesel) in July to 129.9c and 139.9c respectively this week — consumers fear that the drop in worldwide crude oil costs is not being reflected in their local service stations.