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Law requiring fuel pre-pay to take effect June 1

May 25, 2018 | 10:46 AM

LETHBRIDGE – It’s going to be a change, that will require some to adapt.

Next Friday, June 1, the province’s Act to Protect Gas and Convenience Store Workers takes effect. For drivers, this means they will have to pay for gas before pumping it. Similar to a law in B.C., the act is meant to protect employees who in the past may have tried to stop “gas-and-dash” thefts, sometimes with tragic results.

Brent Morris, president of Lethbridge-based Gas King, said it’s a positive step.

“(W)e’ve had a lot of write-offs, a lot of driveaways, especially when the price gets high like it is now,” Morris said in an interview. “We do support it, although we recognize it’ll be a bit of a learning curve for our customers. And for our staff as well.”

At a self-service pump, customers will go inside the store and pre-pay with cash or have their credit or debit card pre-authorized for a set amount. In the case of full-service, a card or cash will have to be given to the attendant before the gas is pumped.

Gas King and other fuel retailers also offer Pay at the Pump, which pre-authorizes a credit or debit card for a maximum amount. The card is only charged for the amount of fuel that’s pumped.

Morris said, looking at British Columbia’s experience, there may have been resistance when it first came into effect.

“I think now it’s probably just second nature to people to get fuel that way. I think it’ll be a problem for our customers, for people in Alberta to get used to, but they will get used to it. It shouldn’t be a problem in the near future.”

The act also includes several requirements to protect the safety of employees, especially at gas and convenience stores that are open overnight. They include video surveillance and good visibility, time-lock safes, and personal emergency transmitters to be worn by workers.