The Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM) in the Netherlands is in favor of introducing a requirement for petrol stations to share current fuel prices. The idea is that this would make it easier for motorists to find the cheapest petrol station in their area.
According to the ACM, current fuel prices should be made available free of charge to information services such as route planners and price comparison sites, which can then process this data in their apps. "This allows consumers to make better choices between petrol stations, which strengthens competition and contributes to lower prices," states the ACM. International research shows that mandatory data sharing often leads to lower fuel prices.
In Germany, this involves a decrease of about 2 to 3 cents per liter for petrol, according to the ACM.
Route planning apps and comparison sites in the Netherlands currently rely primarily on transaction data from business fuel cards, observations by motorists, and prices on petrol station websites to make price estimates, the regulator notes.
"The data quality of these sources is not 100 percent." The ACM advises that a central, independent party collect information on prices and "make it available exclusively to recognized information services". Pump prices in the Netherlands have risen to record highs in recent months.
Full story Toezichthouder wil dat tankstations verplicht data over brandstofprijs delen - AutoWeek
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