Motorists fill up and flee

Thu, 12 Jun 2008

An increasing numbers of motorists burdened by record high petrol prices are simply filling up and speeding off without paying, the Fuel Retailer Association said on Wednesday.

In the latest case of a motorist fleeing from a petrol station without paying, a petrol attendant was knocked down and had to be hospitalized in Empangeni on Tuesday night.

Reacting to the incident, FRA chief executive Peter Morgan said the incident was not isolated.

"There have been about 10 similar incidents like this over the past month," he said.

"And every motorist all over the country is feeling the same pain. It is not isolated to one province. As soon as fuel prices increase, motorists fill up and speed off."

Morgan said he had been receiving more and more reports from retailers of this nature.

"People are doing this because they have no choice, and we as an industry cannot stop motorists and ask them how they are going to pay for it," he said.

He said the burden of increasing prices had forced motorists to look at other options of getting home every day.

Morgan, however, stressed that he had urged retailers to put up signs at service stations stating that petrol attendants would ask motorists how they would pay for fuel before filling up, due to these incidents.

"I have been telling them to do this but to put up signs first," he said.

Mounties Ambulance Service spokesman Joseph Kruger said the 29-year-old petrol attendant knocked down suffered suspected spinal injuries and an injury to his hand.

Kruger said the attendant had told paramedics that when the motorist sped off, he fell onto the bonnet and that the driver continued to accelerate. He fell off and was hit by the wheel.