Ontario Petro-Canada locations to make fuel-prepayment mandatory
Global News is reporting that starting after the Labour Day holiday long-weekend, those looking to fill-up at their local Petro-Canada in Ontario will now have to pre-pay at the pump.
According to a statement sent to Global News, the company said that consumers will be asked to pre-pay at the pump or in the store before they can begin to fuel-up starting on September 3rd. The policy is being put into effect for the safety of staff, customers and to combat fuel theft.
“Pre-paying is common at our sites in other parts of Canada, and we’re pleased to expand it to Ontario,” the spokesperson said in the statement provided to Global News.
“We’re making this proactive change to ensure everyone’s safety at our sites and to reduce the risk of fuel theft. In addition to signs posted at our sites, there will be additional communications to ensure customers are aware of the change.”
In Ontario, Deepak Anand, MPP for Mississauga-Milton introduced a bill that would make paying for gas before you pump could become mandatory in parts of Ontario. Bill 88, Protecting Ontarians by Enhancing Gas Station Safety to Prevent Gas and Dash Act, 2023 would amend the Occupational Health and Safety Act to add a new section 53.2 “requiring employers at gas stations to require customers to prepay for gasoline before pumping it from a gasoline pump that has prepayment technology (technology that can prevent a person from taking gasoline from the pump before paying for it).”
The new section applies to gas stations in the Greater Toronto Area- made up of the City of Toronto and the regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Peel and York – and to any municipality that passes a resolution requesting the application of the section and that is listed in a regulation made under the Act.
“The new section also requires the employer at the station to affix a notice to any pumps with prepayment technology informing customers of the prepayment requirements under the section, as well as to provide worker safety training to those of its workers involved in selling gasoline at the station. The owner of the gas station must ensure that any new or replacement gasoline pumps that are installed at the station have prepayment technology.”
Currently, the bill passed first reading and was sent after a second reading to Ontario’s Standing Committee on Justice Policy in April of last year.
