A city service station manager says the US naval blockage of Iranian ports will ‘not help’ fuel prices in the city, which are nevertheless remaining stable after steep rises.
Despite the uncertain situation with the US naval blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, fuel prices in Worcester remain unchanged for the moment – and some experts are even predicting they could fall.
Standard diesel has been creeping towards £2 per litre in Worcester with Tolladine Service Station charging 199.9p per litre, the highest in the city according to data on the petrol prices website.
International leaders will gather in Paris on Friday in an effort to come up with a plan to ensure the Strait of Hormuz can remain open to shipping after the Middle East war ends.
Meanwhile, China’s foreign ministry has condemned the US blockade of Iranian ports as “dangerous and irresponsible”.
Phil Marsh, a director at Clerkenleap Service Station, an Esso garage on the A38 Bath Road, Broomhall, near Worcester, said of the blockade: “It’s not going to help is it? But I understand why he (Donald Trump) has done it.
“Things will probably get worse in the short term before they get better.”
He added: “We had a fuel delivery last night with no unleaded fuel on it.
“Esso haven’t got any at the moment. It is going to cause supply disruption at forecourts as well as to airlines.”
Mr Marsh described the situation as ‘still very volatile’ and added: “Things are very probably going to get worse in the short term before they hopefully get better.”
He explained his own forecourt had a spare surplus of unleaded but that they were carrying less unleaded than they would normally do.
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However, he said there had been no movement on fuel prices, a pattern which echoes the national picture.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “Pump prices appear to have finally stopped rising after 43 days of increases which saw petrol go up 25.5p to 158.3p and diesel 49p to 191.54p.
“Wholesale fuel costs are now significantly lower than they were at the start of the month, so forecourt prices should begin to come down. As things stand, we’d expect petrol and diesel to drop by several pence a litre in the next week or so.
“It will be very interesting to see if this plays out as the data indicates. We hope it does as drivers could do with some relief at the pumps with a tank of petrol for a family car now costing £87 and the diesel equivalent £105 – £14 and £27 more than they did at the start of the conflict.”