Steven N.The Association of Independent Gas Stations has asked the Prime Minister for “urgent help” in a letter. The group claims that the new government decree stating that vehicles with Hungarian and foreign license plates will be able to refuel at different prices from Friday is “incomprehensible and unenforceable in several respects.”
The decree stipulates that the normal price of the fuel will have to be displayed at the pumps, but cars with Hungarian license plates will get a discount on the final price according to the government’s price cap policy.
The letter from the association representing gas station owners states that the regulation jeopardizes the security of fuel supply and raises a number of issues:
- According to the decree, non-Hungarian vehicles can only be served at the high-performance pump, which will be impossible in practice for passenger cars.
- The regulation provides for three days to overcome technical barriers, which cannot be complied with due to the complexity of retooling cash register systems. Without a cash register system that complies with the regulation, it will be impossible to function.
- Under the regulation, gas stations will be forced to discriminate against foreigners, making them subject to litigation under European Union law.
- According to the regulation, service staff will have to request and inspect customer documents. But as they do not have the official authority or adequate legal protection to do so, these situations can lead to confrontations with customers.
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