00:01Police tracking has shown that there's been 221 people drive off from service stations without paying for their fuel in
00:10the last week.
00:10That number has risen from 160 to the week prior.
00:15We know that fuel prices have been going up significantly, putting added pressure on the hip pocket and the family
00:21budget.
00:22Some servos here in Adelaide are charging $2.80 per litre for diesel.
00:28Petrol is up around the $2.50 mark as well.
00:31The Police Commissioner Grant Stephens, he told ABC Radio yesterday that he's considering not taking reports of fuel theft unless
00:40retailers install a prepaid fuel pump.
00:44He also added that responding to fuel theft is taking away police resources and that it's actually up to retailers
00:52rather than a police matter.
00:56The Commissioner believes that the issue can be solved, in his words, virtually overnight if retailers do install prepaid fuel
01:06pumps.
01:06That hasn't been a very popular take though, particularly with the Motor Traders Association.
01:11They say that it is quite difficult to install those prepaid pumps temporarily while prices are high.
01:22They've also suggested that technology has a part to play in this, suggesting that South Australia follows the lead of
01:31Queensland
01:31where if people do drive off without paying that the registered owner of that vehicle gets a text message saying
01:39that they may have forgotten to pay for fuel.
01:43That's a nice way of approaching it, I guess.
01:46Now, Bryce, it's not just South Australia that this is happening.
01:49Fuel theft is going on elsewhere?
01:52Yeah, South Australia or the rest of the country is not immune to these higher prices.
01:58WA have seen some high prices as well.
02:03And there's been reports that farmers have had fuel stolen from properties right across the state.
02:11The police commissioner in Western Australia has said that necessity is no excuse for theft.
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