Statoil Usher's Quay - Explained

ballooba

Ever wonder how they stay in business with their ridiculously high prices:

Garda fumes at petrol contract

NIAMH HORAN

ONE of the most expensive petrol stations in Ireland is being used by a steady stream of Garda and ambulance drivers contracted by the State to use its pumps.

As part of what is believed to be a deal between the Government and Statoil, gardai and ambulance drivers working within the city centre are being told to use the pricey Statoil station on Usher's Quay, opposite the Four Courts.

As a result, gardai and ambulance drivers are travelling large distances to fill up at the city-centre pumps.

The station - which is currently charging €1.35 per litre of petrol compared with the average of 99¢-€1.02 per litre - is being used to fill the tanks of patrol cars from a number of the city centre's main garda stations.

One garda estimated that it is costing the taxpayer up to €300 a week to fill his patrol car.

While filling his State vehicle at the gas pumps, the garda told the Sunday Independent that he thought the decision to use one of the most expensive petrol stations in the country was "ridiculous".

"I don't know of any other Statoil in the city centre; I would always use this one," he told us. "This car would use up about 35 litres a day because it's going 24 hours.

"It's not my call, though - it's a State car. They want me to come here because it's the main Statoil petrol station in the city centre.

"The next Statoil station is in Clondalkin, I think, so this is where all the guards have to come - be they from Kilmainham, Pearse Street, Kevin Street or Harcourt Terrace - to get their petrol. It's absolutely ridiculous - but that's the State for you . . . they're backward."

He continued: "I'd be happy to use somewhere else if I could. I use the Shell station for my own car and it's only around 99¢ a litre, so I'm happy with that. But this is a State car, so it doesn't really bother me."

An ambulance driver with the Health Service Executive who was also filling his vehicle at the pumps at €1.35 had the same attitude. "It's not my problem," he said. "I don't do the contracts. I just find the nearest Statoil petrol station and fill it."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the HSE said: "It's a value-for-money thing more than anything else." They then explained their reasoning. "Where on-site fuel is not available for Ambulance Emergency Responsive Vehicles, prior arrangements have been put in place at a local level with Statoil.

"This arrangement was made with Statoil in line with the required criteria to meet the specific needs of the Ambulance Emergency Responsive Vehicles and to run an efficient ambulance service."

She cited the need for 24-hour accessibility to a fuelling service all year round, the proximity of the fuelling stations to the areas in which ambulances operate and the need for a facility that provides a traceable service among the list of reasons why specific petrol stations were chosen.

When contacted, management at the Statoil station had no comment to make.

The Gardai said: "We have contracts with a number of fuel suppliers to supply fuel to the gardai.

"These contracts are awarded following a competitive tendering process which is undertaken by the Government Supplies Agency on behalf of the Garda Siochana," said the Gardai.

This absolutely stinks. Why aren't they using DCI card or similar, like any other fleet?

mike65

*boggles* This is proberly best kicked over to Politics where it can be torn into by the usual suspects!

Is'nt it amazing though, governments have this uncanny knack of wasting our money. I can only presume [edited for legal reasons].

http://www.ripoff.ie/petrol.cfm from 2005

Mike.

crosstownk

The Gardaí may not be paying the pump price - they may have a negotiated price per litre with Statoil nationwide.

MAYPOP

garda wrote:

"The next Statoil station is in Clondalkin, I think, so this is where all the guards have to come - be they from Kilmainham, Pearse Street, Kevin Street or Harcourt Terrace - to get their petrol. It's absolutely ridiculous - but that's the State for you . . . they're backward."?

I don't know what is worse, the attitude towards the waste of money or lack of knowledge of Dublin...

list of Statoil stations in Dublin
Clearly doesn't know his Clondalkins from his Cabras :rolleyes:

ballooba

The story seems to suggest they are paying the pump price. There is no other credible explanation I have heard for these prices.

Given the source of this story, it has to be taken with a pinch of salt. I would expect the Gardai and the HSE to explain themselves in the coming days.

Natural wastage my arse, this is plain corruption.

ballooba

MAYPOP wrote:

list of Statoil stations in Dublin
Clearly doesn't know his Clondalkins from his Cabras :rolleyes:

That list is out of date. I don't know about Cabra but Clonskeagh changed to Apple Green about 12 months ago.

unklerosco

I'm assuming they're using statoil fuel cards...

I thought when ur using fuel cards u get a sort of set price for the fuel?? As in the u pay statoil for the fuel monthly n not the garages u buy it in... Assuming the statoil garages are franchiesed.. If thats the case it doesn't mean the Gov. are paying €1.35... they could be getting charged a varying monthly rate which id assume would be about the €1 mark at the mo...

Guy:Incognito

I cant see why they woulb be paying the pump price if they have a contract to onlyuse statoil. what would be th epoint of the contract so?

If i can get a fuel card (i did) and pay whatever the weekly price is on the site, i'm sure the government are getting it too.

In fairness, if their contract was with say Texaco, where would the city centre cars go to . that staoil is pretty much the only city centre garage of any brand.

maidhc

ballooba wrote:

The story seems to suggest they are paying the pump price. There is no other credible explanation I have heard for these prices.

Probably a fuel card. The indo is little better than a tabloid, and inferring things that are completely false is par for the course for them.

Stark

maidhc wrote:

Probably a fuel card. The indo is little better than a tabloid, and inferring things that are completely false is par for the course for them.

Those were my thoughts as well when I read the article.

Gary ITR

I have a statoil fuelcard and have been informed by my employer that we pay the pump price. They then get a rebate at the end of the year based on the amount of fuel purchased

kikel

Onkle wrote:

I have a statoil fuelcard and have been informed by my employer that we pay the pump price. They then get a rebate at the end of the year based on the amount of fuel purchased

Thats not the way it works form my folks. They charge on the cards. the total amount is then deducted from their account each month at the price they are quoted via email each week.

Gary ITR

kikel wrote:

Thats not the way it works form my folks. They charge on the cards. the total amount is then deducted from their account each month at the price they are quoted via email each week.

The bill is paid every month or whatever but at the end of the year the get a small refund depending on how much fuel the company has purchased

eg 1,000,000 litres of fuel= a 2% refund
2,000,000 litres of fuel= a 4% refund etc etc

Stephen

The Gardai definately do have Statoil fuel cards (Routex). With a fleet the size of theirs I'd imagine they get a sizeable discount/rebate. Normally you'd be paying the same rate at any Statoil when you use a Routex card, so it shouldn't matter what price they charge at Usher's Quay when you use the fuel card.

craichoe

http://www.motorcard.ie/Week6_2007.htm

Current fuelcard rates ... Well what i get on my Benchmark card,
You pay this or the price at the pump, whichever is cheaper.

The gardai are only paying 98.18c / litre at the moment.

Stephen

Rates will be different for different fuel card customers. That's just the rate Benchmark are currently getting, though I'd wager the Gardaí get a pretty good rate too due to the size of their fleet and the amount of fuel they'd be buying.

craichoe

Nope, same rate afaik, according to a Garda i know.

testicle

I filled up there the other day, and saved €22 of the sale price, on a 60L tank, by using the Benchmark card!!!!!

Sizzler

Disgraceful :mad:

Another very similar scenario......Statoil on the old airport road, charges around €1.10 a litre (ripoff) and theres a car rental place next door, now whats the chances that all the hire cars have their tanks filled from their Statoil neighbour

ballooba

Just goes to show, you can never believe a word the Indo print.

mike65

Damn!

Mike.

Stark

I made the stupid decision of buying it yesterday before heading on the train. I never read so much crap in my life. It's like they hired everyone who writes into the "letters to the editors" page to work for them full time. Thought the section where they had to apologise to Michael Flatley for saying things that were untrue was funny. I'm surprised there wasn't an entire apologies supplement with the paper.

JHMEG

Altho this is the civil/public service we're talking about. Not known for effeciency or value for money. And as the investigation into the P-PARS debacle discovered, no-one is responsible for anything.

So it wouldn't surprise me one bit if the Indo article was true...

colm_mcm

isn't most of that €1.35 made up of tax that goes back to gov anyway?

ballooba

colm_mcm wrote:

isn't most of that €1.35 made up of tax that goes back to gov anyway?

That sounds like civil servant logic/maths.

Turner

Dunno what supposed Garda they interviewed either.

They are buying the fuel at a discounted rate determined weekly. Usually about 98 cents a liter.

Individual gardai can also buy fuel at this rate with a statoil card for their private cars.

Indo****e as usual.

skyhighflyer

Chief--- wrote:

Dunno what supposed Garda they interviewed either.

They are buying the fuel at a discounted rate determined weekly. Usually about 98 cents a liter.

Individual gardai can also buy fuel at this rate with a statoil card for their private cars.

Indo****e as usual.

Yep, have a Garda mate in city centre and all the cars are filled with statoil cards. He has one for his own car too.

What total BS that article is! The guards are using statoil cards and therefore it matters not where they go to fill the cars. The only way they could be paying that price for their fuel would be if they were paying in cash or something, which clearly doesnt happen.

alias no.9

I worked in a statoil garage down the country in my youth and they had the contract for the gardai and ambulances etc... and this was even in the days before the statoil cards existed. Even then, all they were concerned about was the litre amount rather than the cash amount indicating that they didn't pay pump price back then either.

TheNog

Yes it is true that the patrol car fill ups are not charged the full pump price. It would be madness for the Gardai and Statoil to do that. The Gardai have a fleet that needs access to 24hr petrol stations and Statoil need business. Of course a deal is going to be struck with reduced fuel prices. Else where in the country, if no Statoil is available, it is up to the Super to choose a 24hr petrol station in the locality. In our town we use a Maxol.

As for a Garda's private car, I thought we were paying just under 90c per litre. Anyone who has the Statoil card from Uncle Pauls and understands the statement that is sent out,please tell me the true litre value is. Its a bit confusing.