Local motorists claim they are trapped within Melbourne’s most expensive 5-kilometre radius for petrol, preventing them from sourcing their petrol from other suburbs like they usually do. While the need for petrol generally reduces during lockdowns, residents confined to the small radius around their own home say they are now being forced to visit service stations in Watsonia and Greensborough for the first time in years.

One such motorist, who requested strict anonymity, told The Watsonia Bugle, “It’s almost the worst part of lockdown if you ask me. Sure, I’m hardly using any petrol, so don’t fill up very often, but buying local petrol is not something I’ve done for years. I got sick of being ripped off in this area ages ago, so I vowed to never buy petrol around here ever again. But I had to go back on that the other day. And it hurt.”

The same motorist claimed the backtrack was having a flow-on to other areas of their life. They said, “I pride myself for being a person of integrity, and standing by my principles, so going back on this has damaged my personal brand. My kids have seen the cracks in my moral compass, and are starting to challenge me on certain things. Like my long-standing rule of no chocolate before midday. They reckon they’re a chance.”

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