Drivers delighted with 'ease up' on super gasoline

DRIVERS using super gasoline say they are delighted for the "ease up" on super gasoline prices announced by Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo in his 2025/2026 budget presentation on October 13.

In his first major announcement during the presentation, Tancoo said effective immediately, there will be a $1 decrease per litre of super gasoline. He said this decision, as mandated by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, would “benefit every single citizen of TT.”

The announcement reverses part of the former PNM administration’s phased removal of fuel subsidies, which had led to steady increases in pump prices over the past decade.

Speaking to Newsday on October 13 at the Richmond Street gas station, one driver said emphatically, "Yuh can't go wrong. Is ah ease up; ah dollar could help a lot."

Another driver said he was anticipating a bit of savings, "That supposed to help we. That's a plus. More gas, less money."

Another driver said he was pleased with the announcement as he usually spends around $280 to fill his tank. However, he said he was disappointed that the change in price was not reflected immediately at the pump as Tancoo had announced.

"To save money is always good. I welcome it. If they say immediately they supposed to remove it immediately. You might put yuh $100 dey and expecting to save a certain amount and you ain't seeing it."

Although the decrease in fuel price was welcomed, two drivers told Newsday they were disappointed that the decrease was for super gasoline only.

A Suzuki driver who uses premium told Newsday, "I heard about it in passing. It's only for super, it doesn't do anything for people using premium. I would have liked it across the board so everybody would would have been able to benefit from it. But yuh just have to live with it how it is."

A woman, who uses diesel for her van, said she spends around $260 per week on fuel, "If the consideration was made for one type of fuel, it should have been made across the board."

Asked whether she was pleased with the overall budget, she said, "I have not heard the details about the budget but I am hoping there are some positives there."

Another driver said he wanted to wait and see if the decrease would affect him significantly."Something have to happen at the end of the day. We have to accept whatever is to come. It can't be better than this. The way the economy is, it can't be better."