Fuel drive-offs force Bay of Plenty service stations to make motorists pre-pay

People driving off without paying for fuel have forced some local petrol stations to adopt a pre-paid service. Photo / Mead Norton

Service station staff hit by petrol drive-offs say the offenders include people in "flash cars" and some who gave the finger to workers as they zoomed away.

Some Bay of Plenty service stations say they have had to make motorists pre-pay for fuel after multiple thefts each week, with one business reporting losing $300 to $400 worth of fuel a week.

Last week police were notified after about 600 litres of fuel was siphoned from a tractor parked at a construction site near Te Puna.

A co-owner of Challenge Ōmokoroa petrol station says they don't have any more petrol drive-offs since changing to a full pre-paid system. Photo / Supplied

Caltex Welcome Bay manager Bally Dhaliwal said it used to have about one or two fuel drive-offs every two or three months.

"But now we are having two or three drive-offs every week, so we are now only opening the pumps for people we know well, otherwise customers have to come inside and pre-pay.

"We have to be very vigilant who we open our pumps to as people doing this aren't just low-income earners, they include people driving flash cars."

Dhaliwal estimated the business was losing about $300 to $400 a week in stolen fuel.

"We also have people coming in to pre-pay but then they tell us they have a problem with their eftpos card or it's not working and they will come back to pay, but only about one in every 10th person ever does.

"I apologise to our other customers for the inconvenience of having to pre-pay, but unfortunately, we felt it was the only way to try and reduce our losses."

Challenge Ōmokoroa petrol station says they don't have any more petrol drive-offs since changing to a full pre-paid system. Photo / Supplied

Challenge Ōmokoroa petrol station co-owner Joann Deane said they were having two or three fuel drive-offs a week before she and husband Mike changed to a full pre-paid system.

"It doesn't sound many, but that's a lot for us as we are an independent station, which means all the costs we incur fall on us. Some of the petrol drive-offs were really blatant, including some who filled up their car then gave us the finger as they drove off.

"It's really frustrating as all of the costs of having a pre-pay system stay with us. Yet we had no choice but to have a full-time pre-pay service to protect our livelihood.

"We have done the calculations and it has taken a lot of sales to recover any losses, including when people steal from us."

Deane said since going to pre-pay their fuel thefts had reduced to zero.

She said in the last six months, a hammer had been thrown at the station's glass front door and a window had been smashed, leaving a huge mess to clean up.

Deane said she would like to see more enforcement measures in rural areas.

BP Maungatapu station owner Shashwat Duggal said fuel drive-off thefts at his station were increasing, with at least one every week compared to about one a month last year.

"Every week someone is filling up their vehicle with up to $200 in fuel and just driving off. It's got so bad our cashiers have been told that if there is any doubt, to lock the pumps.

"Unfortunately that means some of our legitimate customers who want fuel get quite angry but it was just getting too much, so now people have to come inside and pre-pay."

Duggal said he always reported thefts to the police, including providing security footage, yet often did not hear back. However, he did not actively pursue every complaint with the police.

He said he would like to see more enforcement.

The manager at Gull Hewletts Rd, who asked not to be named, said since the station adopted a predominantly pre-paid service, fuel drive-offs had reduced.

"Every week was different. Sometimes it used to be once a week and other times once a fortnight but now we have gone to a pre-pay system it has made a big difference.

"We have signs up reminding people they need to come inside and pay first and around 90 per cent of customers are happy to do so."

Katikati Constable James Muir. Photo / Katikati Advertiser

Katikati police Constable James Muir said, on average, there were two or three fuel drive-off thefts in the area a week.

He said there was no evidence to suggest drive-offs had increased with the rise in fuel prices.

Muir said one concerning incident involved someone siphoning 600 litres of diesel from a tractor being used in the construction of the new Takitimu Northern Link in the Minden area overnight on July 25 or 26.

Offenders also did significant damage to the diesel tank to gain access, resulting in $5000 in total losses, including the stolen diesel, he said.

"No matter what the amount involved, we treat any petrol theft as a serious matter and people can expect to be charged when we eventually catch up with them."

Western Bay of Plenty area commander Inspector Clifford Paxton. Photo / NZME

Western Bay of Plenty police area commander Inspector Clifford Paxton said all incidents needed to be reported to help police build a clearer picture of whether fuel drive-off thefts were rising.

That included providing details of the vehicle and people involved and any other identifying details, plus any security footage, he said.

"There may be spikes in some parts of the district and not in others and to know where to assign our resources, we need a clearer picture of what is happening in the district.

"Unfortunately, not all crimes or suspicious activity are being reported to the police and we can only investigate those incidents we know about.

"Sometimes despite our best efforts, there are no positive lines of inquiry for us to follow.

"We still need the community's help to be our eyes and ears."

Paxton said he urged people to contact the police again if they had not heard back about a complaint.

There was a "significant police presence" patrolling State Highway 2 most days to help prevent crime in rural areas, including from Katikati to Ōmokoroa.

Tauranga Budget Advisory Service general manager Shirley McCombe said fuel was a big household expense for many people, especially those reliant on a vehicle to get to and from work.

McCombe said the rising cost of fuel was a problem for people already struggling to pay for accommodation, power, food, and other expenses.

"We know it's a real struggle, but ... people should not feel embarrassed or worried about coming forward to ask for help, this is why we exist."