Long lines at gas stations ahead of tax hike
Gas pumps across Newfoundland and Labrador were hit with spectacular lineups on Wednesday as drivers scurried to avoid a looming tax hike.
Consumers across the province rushed to fill up before a price change of 18.65 cents takes effect on Thursday.
That includes a 16.5 cent a litre increase in the gas tax plus an additional 2.15 cents in HST.
The size of the Public Utilities Board`s actual hike, which will be influenced by any other pricing changes, will take effect at midnight.
If there are no other pricing changes Thursday, the maximum price of gas on the Avalon Peninsula will jump from $1.14 per litre to nearly $1.33 per litre.
The new gas tax was one part of the array of tax increases contained in April's bad news provincial budget.
A few vehicles lined up at Costco to wait for their turn to save a few bucks on gasoline <a href="https://t.co/L85bNQWv2J">pic.twitter.com/L85bNQWv2J</a>
—@Jeremy_Eaton7:30 AM and this is Costco gas line!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nltraffic?src=hash">#nltraffic</a> <a href="https://t.co/cthMNr1XQv">pic.twitter.com/cthMNr1XQv</a>
—@jimdonovan57North Atlantic in Chapel Arm out of regular gas. Supreme only. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nltraffic?src=hash">#nltraffic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nlpoli?src=hash">#nlpoli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/budget16?src=hash">#budget16</a> <a href="https://t.co/XsLxtzzcuj">pic.twitter.com/XsLxtzzcuj</a>
—@NCLC_Coreynice going dwight ball even then the little old ladies are filling up gas cans <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nlpoli?src=hash">#nlpoli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nltraffic?src=hash">#nltraffic</a> <a href="https://t.co/WYTyqAgxH7">pic.twitter.com/WYTyqAgxH7</a>
—@msoper100Long lines at Costco on the eve of 16.5 c/L gas tax hike. Drivers say wait is short, 15 mins. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/jerrycansgalore?src=hash">#jerrycansgalore</a> <a href="https://t.co/g31dLK3s3A">pic.twitter.com/g31dLK3s3A</a>
—@CStokescbc<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nlpoli?src=hash">#nlpoli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbcnl?src=hash">#cbcnl</a> Gov't vehicles lining up in Bay Roberts before gas tax takes effect. <a href="https://t.co/n1dRrkqt1Z">pic.twitter.com/n1dRrkqt1Z</a>
—@JeremyHillier74