93
OTTAWA — The federal government says it will step up inspections at gas stations across Canada this summer and will soon increase fines for inaccurate pumps to $10,000 from $1,000.
Industry Minister Jim Prentice said Monday that Measurement Canada has reported that about 3 per cent of gas pumps tested between 1999 and 2007 have been inaccurate.
“All consumers in the country need to know when they go to gas up their vehicles that the pumps are accurate and they get what they paid for,” he said.
Mr. Prentice said it will take time to draft changes on how gas stations are monitored, but he expects a new regimen will be in place by the fall.
He said the new system will require that all gas stations certify the accuracy of their pumps every two years.
As well, fines for operating pumps that cheat the consumer – whether the error is of a technical nature or deliberate – will go from the current $1,000 to $10,000 for a first offence. He said the changes will allow for even stiffer fines for repeat offenders.
“It's incumbent on the people who sell gasoline to make sure their pumps are accurate,” he said. “They'll be required to provide verification every two years and if they fail in that, there will be very significant consequences.”
With the price of regular gasoline hitting above $1.20 a litre, the issue of gas-pump prices has become a hot political potato. NDP Leader Jack Layton recently repeated his proposal that the government create an ombudsman's office to ensure consumers are not cheated.
Mr. Layton said he is glad the government has caved to pressure to act, but he wants to see what new system is adopted before making an assessment if it is sufficient to protect consumers.
