MONTREAL — Gas prices spiked overnight Wednesday in Montreal to $1.41 per litre. That's up by about 10 cents in the metropolitan area from a day earlier and far more expensive than other places in North America.
For example Toronto motorists are paying $1.30, Calgary $1.15, and in the United States one litre costs just 98 cents.
Last year at this time, Montreal drivers were dishing out $1.10 per litre.
As CTV Montreal's Rob Lurie reports, the rationale behind the price hike isn't altogether clear: oil costs are not up, nor are refining costs. There's no natural disaster to blame either.
Oil company officials did not answer calls to explain the price hikes.
One expert says that they do it because they can.
"I think this is happening because they can get away with it," says Bruce Can of the Consumers' Association of Canada. "They do get away with it and i think they're becoming ever emboldened to do what they want to raise the prices how they wish."
In dollar terms, the hike is a painful one for those with big tanks.
"If you filled yesterday, when it was eight to nine cents cheaper a litre that can equate to three, four or even five dollars, depending on how big your tank is," said Chris Diraddo of EssenceMontreal.com, which is a useful resource to knowing where gas prices are going.
Predictably, motorists were irate.
"This is crazy," said one driver. "I'm thinking about taking out my bicycle."
"The people are being ripped off, totally," said another.
