A liter of regular petrol has cost 1.62 euros in Slovenia since Tuesday, diesel 1.70. That’s 30 to 40 cents less than in Austria.
In the morning in Trzic, around 15 kilometers from the Austrian border, the rush of customers from Austria was actually strong. During the day, customer frequency fell again, but some drivers took the opportunity to fill up, like Roman Roblek from Zell Pfarre: “I usually fill up in Austria because it’s too complicated to drive here. However, if you are passing through, it makes sense to fill up here.”
Hermann Kraxner from Friesach combined a motorcycle trip with his friends to Italy with an onward journey to Slovenia to refuel. After a business trip to Zagreb in Croatia, Wolfgang Mangge also took the opportunity to fill up before returning home to Klagenfurt: “It pays off.”
Shop business at gas stations is also suffering
A brisk tank tourism could not be seen on Tuesday. Nevertheless, industry representatives in Carinthia warn that the low Slovenian and high Austrian fuel prices could affect buyer behavior, according to WK specialist group chairman Jürgen Scherzer: “Since the beginning of the high fuel prices, we have seen declines of between 15 and 25 percent in Austria and especially in Carinthia . Of course, this also has an effect on the shop business, which is part of the actual business model of a gas station leaseholder.”
In Klagenfurt, the high fuel prices are noticeable, gas station operators confirmed to ORF Carinthia. However, there are no official statements due to group guidelines.
In any case, drivers would like lower fuel prices, like Heinz Wagner from Micheldorf: “What is possible in Slovenia should normally also be possible here. I suspect that a lot of money is being made in the background.” Katharina Bacher from Klagenfurt would be in favor of a generally uniform price.
Relief for commuters and the self-employed called for
In Slovenia, the government fixes retailers’ margins. From the point of view of the ARBÖ motorists’ club, this should also be possible in Austria, according to operations manager Günther Friesacher: “It’s not just about commuters, but also about the self-employed who depend on the car or people in rural areas.”
Jürgen Scherzer, head of the Chamber of Commerce’s specialist group, considers a different form of taxation to be sensible. In his opinion, the mineral oil tax could be suspended – at least temporarily.
In Slovenia and Croatia, off-motorway fuel prices are reset every two weeks. Current prices will remain until August 1st.