Garages fear fuel price rise due to unrest in Ukraine

Russia has recognised the independence of two breakaway states in eastern Ukraine and has said it plans to send in troops as ‘peacekeepers’.

The unrest has seen oil prices reach a seven-year high and continue to climb amid fears Russia could tighten its supply of the commodity.

Whiteway Motors owner Andre Whiteway thought it was an understatement to say fuel prices would increase.

‘They definitely will, but there’s nothing we can do – it’s out of our control,’ he said.

‘We just don’t know when it’s going to end. It’s just going up and up.’

As more shipments of fuel came in, he expected fuel prices on the island to go up.

‘I try and keep my fuel prices as low as I can and have done since I opened the garage but it’s difficult at the moment with the price increases.’

Trev’s Motorcycles owner Trevor Hockey agreed and said he was ‘almost certain’ prices would be increasing.

‘It’s having an effect without a doubt. It’s inevitable that it’s only going to go one way,’ he said.

‘The markets have got the jitters over the year and now Mr Putin has moved troops in, I don’t think the outlook is going to be good.’

Customers were speaking about price inflation in shops and the construction sector, he said, caused by Covid, Brexit and the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

‘It has been a topic of conversation obviously,’ he added.

‘A lot of customers are commenting that prices have been going up in shops.’

Dave Beausire from Le Mont Saint Garage said fuel prices had been increasing anyway, so it was difficult to predict the impact of the crisis.

‘It’s unpredictable at this moment in time.

‘We have seen an increase in fuel prices since New Year without what is happening in Ukraine so it’s hard to tell.’

He hoped the impact would be minimal.

‘The majority of our petrol fuel is not coming out of Russia so hopefully it won’t have too much of an impact,’ he added.

‘There is no guarantee either way.’

Forest Road Garage general manager and Guernsey Motor Trades Association president Robert Cornelius said fuel

prices would likely continue increasing.

‘Looking at the information the GMTA has seen, if there is conflict in that area in the world, the indications are oil prices will continue to increase,’ he said.

‘Only time will tell, but that’s what we are seeing at the moment.

‘The cost of living across the board has increased for lots of reasons.’