Fuel price 'not fixed'...
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• The major oil companies, which sold fuel on their own forecourts more cheaply than to independent suppliers after the September protests, have been cleared of price fixing by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). The OFT looked into allegations of anti-competitive behaviour following complaints from independent retailers.
Hauliers. too, slammed the price discrepancies—bulk fuel cost up to 10piTit more than pump prices.
The OFT blames "an unusual combination of circumstances affecting the market", including high world oil prices and public pressure to keep prices down. It found no evidence of price fixing agreements or abuse of a dominant position by the oil giants.
Since then bulk fuel prices have fallen. However, Newcastle-based haulier Eric Short warns: This can't be allowed to happen again. We tried to get around the problem by sending our drivers to the forecourts, but when we applied for a TeSCO fuel card they wanted a £27,000 deposit."
OFT director John Vickers says: "The OFT will continue to monitor this market very closely, and will not hesitate to take action if we find that firms in the industry are deliberately damaging competition."