Red Deer drivers are reaching deep into their pockets to pay for gas at the pumps.
Larry Marr, a Red Deer resident, who drives to Bonnyville for work a couple times a month, said gas is a necessity for him.
He said he paid $1.29 at a Red Deer gas station on Sunday. Marr said he can afford the increase, but it’s “too much.”
“It can take a bite out of things,” he said.
“It seems like every summer it takes a jump, during special holidays – they seem to knock up the price.”
Darryl Hicks, another Red Deer resident, who drives to Grande Prairie few times a month for work, echoed Marr’s thoughts.
“I don’t really have a choice. I’m out of a job if I don’t,” he said.
Roeen Khan Mohammad, from Red Deer, who drives a taxi for a living, said he fills up his car about four times a week. He said the price is “really high for Alberta,” and the increase affects him.
Khan Mohammad said it usually costs about $40 to fill up his cab, which has increased to about $75 as of recently.
Gas prices have soared across the country in recent days.
According to GasBuddy.com the average gas price in Canada was about $1.33 per litre Monday, up 22 cents from the average of $1.11 at the same time last year. The record high for the same day was over $1.37 set in 2014. Red Deer stations ranged from 123.9 to 129.9 cents per litre Sunday and on Monday they were 123.9 to 128.9.
Dan McTeague, senior petroleum analyst in Canada for GasBuddy.com, said the price increase is due to springtime maintenance at refineries as well as jump in oil prices.
McTeague said price of gas is about 20 cents higher than what it was at this time last year.
“These are high prices, made higher by governments, and of course, oil being about $18 to $19 a barrel higher,” said McTeague.
“So look towards summer to potentially have days where you see higher prices in mid $1.30 range and other days around mid $1.20.”
A Red Deer driver, Dennis House, said he paid roughly $10 more at the pump Sunday to fill up his truck that he uses to drive to work.
He said given the summer weather, he will consider walking or riding his bicycle when he is not working.
“On my days off I can make those adjustments.”
With files from Canadian Press
mamta.lulla@reddeeradvocate.com
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