| Releases & Statements
Betsy Gotbaum today lashed out at
unscrupulous gas station owners who are gouging New Yorkers at
the pump and announced that she will introduce legislation to
provide City residents with information about the lowest gas prices
in their area.
“Charging New Yorkers way more
than the average gas price is unethical, and now I’m going
to make it bad for business,” said Gotbaum referring to
her legislation, which would require gas station to regularly
report gas prices to the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA).
DCA would then make the information available on the City’s
web site so residents could compare prices in their neighborhoods
or by zipcode. The bill will likely be introduced in September.
“If you charge more, we’re
going to make that information available to consumers and let
them decide if they’re taking their business elsewhere,”
continued Gotbaum, who noted that it was not illegal for some
stations to charge more than others. According to a study conducted
by the National Association of Convenience Stores, 40 percent
of drivers will go to a different gas station in order to save
just a few dollars.
In recent days, gas prices have varied
by more than $0.40 a gallon. According to the latest information
listed on www.newyorkgasprices.com, a website that posts consumer-
reported information, the Hess station on 4th Avenue and 30th
Street sells a gallon of regular gas for $2.53, while the Shell
station on Bruckner Blvd. and White Plains Road charges a whopping
$2.95 a gallon.
According to Gotbaum, “consumers
should have the information they need to make the most informed
decision, and the city government should be providing them with
that information.” The City already regulates certain gas
station practices, requiring them to post uniform pricing information
and monitoring the quality of gas.
Gotbaum also urged New Yorkers to
report high gas prices to the DCA, but blasted the agency for
posting an overly complicated complaint form on the website. The
DCA complaint asks for irrelevant information, including information
on down payments, warranties, and whether the matter in question
has been decided in court. She called on the DCA to simplify the
form, pointing to NewYorkGasPrices.com’s reporting form.
“All the information that’s needed is the price per
gallon and the station name and location. I’m urging New
Yorkers to report this information so that the City can more quickly
provide it to other people who need it,” concluded Gotbaum.
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