Rural diesel price cut by David Craik • Haulier in
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rural areas enduring higher diesel costs thai those in the cities will suffer slightly less now that one fuel company has ut its prices in the country BP has r duced diesel by 3p/lit thro ghout its network 500 iural filling stations—mainly in reaction to lobbying rom country firms. Unti now they have complained of a differential in diesel ost of up to 10p/lit bet een rural and urban areas "We are hoping to narrow the g p," says a BP spokesman "Our average diesel pric in rural areas is now 69p per litre, a difference of nly four pence; last year th difference was eight pence.'
Norman Gordon of Isle of Harris haulier John Mackay & Sons welcomes the BP reduction but he wants more. "This should really have been done much, much earlier," says Gordon. James Manson of Tain's Bannerman Company also welcomes the reduction in terms of increased competitiveness for rural hauliers but berates the Government for not taking more of a lead. "We need the essential user rebate," he says.
Stewart Wardlaw of Highland Council, who says he has been campaigning for years for such a reduction, hopes that BP's lead will be followed by the other oil companies. A spokeswoman for Shell says: "We are monitoring the situation but if we want to remain competitive we will have to reduce our rural prices as well."
Esso says it has reduced its diesel prices by four pence since Christmas but will watch developments to remain competitive.