Traffic jammed for free fill-up

Petrol was free from 8 to 9am today at the Shell station in Beach Rd, Parnell. Picture / Brett Phibbs

The lure of free petrol clogged roads around a Parnell service station this morning.

In a promotion for radio station Classic Hits, drivers were able to fill up for free between 8 and 9am at the Shell station on Beach Rd near the old railway station.

Classic Hits head of news Alice Leonard said this morning the promotion was timed for the last day of school holidays in order to minimise the impact on traffic.

She said the giveaway was "kind of a fun thing to do" but that four police offers would be on hand to deal with any traffic jam or frayed tempers.

The radio station announced the free petrol location at 7.45am and within 20 minutes traffic was at a standstill on Beach Rd as drivers tried to squeeze their vehicles on to the station's jammed forecourt.

Regular 91-grade petrol has been selling in Auckland for 151.9c/litre for the past several days.