Complaints against gas stations in Mérida are common as customers routinely argue that not all of the gasoline which they pay for actually makes it into their tanks.
It would seem Mexico’s consumer protection agency, Profeco, agrees. The agency noted today that gas stations in Mérida are in fact short-changing customers.
The situation is made even worse as gasoline prices continue to rise. The average price of a liter of gasoline in Mérida as of today stands at 20.79 pesos.
Among the gas stations singeled out by the Profecto for irregularities are Autoservicio Yucatán on Circutio Colonias. and Estación de Servicios JP on the exit to Campeche.
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Before 2016 only Pemex gas stations were legally allowed to sell fuel to consumers in Mexico. Since then, several new companies have entered the market. However, they are all still ultimately supplied exclusively by Pemex.
“There is no real competition in the gasoline sector, it is an oligopoly because the entire market is in the hands of a tiny group of colluded individuals. The branding may vary but it is all exactly the same product delivered by the same supplier,” said UADY economist Gabriel Rodríguez Cedillo.
Ever-increasing gasoline prices are likely to translate into more expensive goods and services across the economy.
