Petrol station drive offs see double-digit increase
Wed, 11 Sept 2024
New data has revealed the number of motorists driving off from filling stations and failing to pay has rocketed 12.8% in just three months.
The British Oil Security Syndicate (BOSS) says that drive-off, failure to pay incidents have seen their largest rise in 12 months, jumping significantly between April and June 2024.
This led to an overall 2.6% rise in unpaid fuel incidents in the previous quarter.
However, the number of motorists with ‘no means of payment’ actually fell 4.1%, continuing the decline in recent months.
In such incidents, drivers have usually forgotten to take cash or a credit card with them. Instead they fill out a form or take a receipt so they can pay for the fuel later.
The average cost of a failure to pay incident is a tank of fuel worth just under £50.
BOSS says the overall rise in unpaid fuel reports is down to motorists intentionally leaving petrol stations without paying for fuel.
The syndicate adds that economic pressures, including rising fuel prices and cost-of-living challenges, are contributing factors, leading some individuals to resort to fuel theft.
"The ease of committing drive-offs, particularly in busy forecourt environments with limited surveillance, has exacerbated the problem," says Claire Nichol, executive director at BOSS.
She called for forecourts to step up staff vigilance and ensure that surveillance systems are fully operational.
The syndicate estimates there are around 1.5 million unpaid fuel incidents every year, costing fuel retailers around £100 million.
To help, BOSS allows filling stations to report an incident online, so the organisation can assist in tracking down motorists who fail to pay.
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