MEP PRESSES FOR END TO PUMP PAIN

12.05.14pm GMT Fri 27th Feb 2004

A local Euro-MP wants action to prevent the costly misery suffered by thousands of West Midland's drivers at the petrol station each year. More than 120,000 people across the UK mistakenly put the wrong fuel into their cars at filling stations last year.

Putting diesel into petrol engines or petrol into diesel-fuelled cars is defined as 'misfuelling' by breakdown companies, and the problem is on the increase. The number of AA callouts to deal with the problem has risen by almost 10% over the last five years, and the equivalent of 13 tanker loads of fuel is said to be wasted through misfuelling incidents every month.

Liberal Democrat Euro-MP Liz Lynne says misfuelling creates huge expense and inconvenience for motorists. She wants Europe-wide action by car manufacturers and fuel suppliers to curb the problem.

Liz says that the average cost to motorists for a misfuelling error is around £130, but if damage is caused due to driving the car with the incorrect fuel the repair bills can sometimes run into thousands.

Possible solutions to the problem vary from differently shaped nozzles at pumps to clearer markings and audio warning, but the difficulty has been to get all interest groups to agree what action should be taken and who should meet the costs.

Major oil companies have recently agreed to standardise the colour of nozzles and hoses for unleaded and diesel pumps. They say they will also review nozzle advertisements to reduce potential customer confusion.

But the West Midlands Euro-MP Liz Lynne says that while measures are a step forward, the European Commission should encourage all parties to sit down and decide the best way forward to end the problem in the long term.

he said:

"Everyone knows someone who has made this mistake, and we can all imagine the cry of frustration it must produce. The problem is not unique to British drivers and happens across the continent.

"Car manufacturers and fuel suppliers work across the European market and if a permanent solution is to be found by changing the shape of nozzles to match the fuel being used it must be on a Europe-wide basis."

The increase in misfuelling incidents is thought to be due in part to the increased use of diesel vehicles but other factors play a part. Almost half the drivers interviewed in a recent survey said they had been distracted while at the petrol station, while a quarter blamed the fact they were driving an unfamiliar car.

The AA advises those who do misfuel their car not to start the engine, or to switch off as soon as possible. Contaminated fuel must then be drained by a garage using authorised equipment and with approved disposal facilities.