GARAGES in the Bournemouth area say they continue to get negative feedback from motorists because of the cost of fuel, but said they are passing on cuts in cost.

Texaco in Charminster Road, Charminster and BP in Boscombe both cut prices yesterday. At Texaco in Charminster the cost of unleaded fell two pence a litre and diesel dropped three pence, making it 113.9 for unleaded and 126.9 for diesel.

Acting manager Sasi Mathu said: "It's quite good news that Texaco are dropping it.

"Motorists say it's too expensive. I do apologise and say it's not us, it's headquarters."

At BP in Boscombe, prices also fell yesterday, with unleaded down two pence to 116.9 and diesel down three pence to 129.9.

Cashier Vijaya Kumar said motorists had complained to him about the cost.

"They think we set the prices," he said. "These machines belong to BP."

He said a number of customers had left him valuable items or ID when they could not pay their bill. These items had not yet been collected.

Their comments came after Edmund King, president of the motoring organisation the AA, said that drivers were being "taken for a ride" because garages are failing to pass on a cut in prices to the cost for a barrel of oil.

Less than a month ago oil was selling at a record 147 dollars a barrel but by the start of this week was around 120 dollars.

He said petrol was almost 9p more a litre than it should be, and diesel was 11p more.

"We calculate that retailers should be cutting a penny a litre off diesel and petrol with each two dollar fall in oil prices," he told the Daily Telegraph.

"Motorists are being taken for a ride. Retailers should be reacting more rapidly to the fall in oil prices, just as they do when they go up."

Charminster post office worker Peter Greenslade said he was concerned about the price of fuel and was also concerned that some garages were not passing on potential savings.

"The prices have dropped slightly but it's still horrendous.

"Every time it drops down it goes up twice." He said a more realistic price would be a return to last year's prices.

Frederick Kemp, a retired lorry driver from West Howe, was filling up his motorhome at Sainsbury's at Talbot Heath.

He said: "The thing I think is disgraceful is the price difference between petrol and diesel.

"There is a 13p price difference when there used to be two or three pence.

"It's now £75 not £50 in diesel to fill the motorhome.

"I think the motorist is ripped off. You only have to look at Europe or America. What puts the price up is the tax. They have a fuel tax then they charge you VAT. They are taxing a tax."

Driver Mark Richardson, 28, from Parkstone, said: "I've noticed the price per barrel has been coming down for some time, but this has translated into nothing much for the motorist.

"It's clear the government is anti-car, and would be happier with poorer people priced off the roads altogether."

Motorist Kirsten Diprose, 36, from outside Wareham, added: "When oil per barrel rises, we seem to see this reflected on garage forecourts almost immediately. It's no surprise this doesn't happen quite as much the other way around.

"I bet the big oil companies are still making scandalous daily profits."

  • For a full list of fuel prices throughout the area, see Daily Echo on August 7.