Little joy in shopping around for Petrol

The closure of one third of the city’s filling stations in recent years is leading to minimal price differences on the forecourts and less value for motorists. Retailers have claimed that a combination of reasons haveled to closures, including potential site values, dwindling profit margins on fuel, and competition from large retailers. At the moment, there are just 15 petrol stations within the city boundaries — 12 of which are currently charging the exact same price for a litre of unleaded. In 2000, there were 24 petrol retailers. And the situation is similar for motorists driving diesel cars, with 8 of the 16 retailers (one filling station sells only diesel) charging the same price per litre. In the past seven years, nine forecourts have shut down in the city — Hanley’s and Excelsior on the Tuam Road, Murty’s in Galway Shopping Centre, Merlin Park Service Station and Esso stations on the Headford Road, Newcastle and in Renmore as well as stations at Ballindooley and on the Monivea Road.Michael Griffin, Chief Executive of the Irish Petrol Retail Association, told the Galway City Tribune that......