Gas prices surge fuels concern for drivers across the region

CAMDEN, N.J. (WPVI) — After more than five weeks of rising gas prices, drivers across the Philadelphia region say the cost at the pump is becoming alarming as prices continue to climb.

“The prices are alarming,” said Doye Chuck, who runs Ed VIP Services, a limo business serving the area.

Drivers say the rapid increases have been hard to absorb.

“In a month, you went from $2.75 now to like $4.19. I mean, how can you live like that? It’s insane, the price hike,” said Carito Mahan of Sewell, New Jersey.

As of today, the average price across the five counties that make up the Philadelphia region is $4.15, up 19 cents over the past week. In South Jersey, the average price is $4.08, an increase of 23 cents in the same period. Delaware remains the lowest in the area at $3.91, up 4 cents in the past week.

Despite the regional differences, drivers are paying nearly a dollar more per gallon than they did at the start of the war with Iran on February 28th.

The main issue is that few ships are getting through the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian military, known as the IRGC, has been attacking oil tankers for weeks, limiting supply.

“If you listen to IRGC, they don’t plan on returning the Strait of Hormuz to the original condition, so this could be indefinite,” said Jame Cepis of Center City.

The higher prices are taking a toll on businesses that depend on fuel. Chuck said his limo service has begun limiting where drivers will travel in an effort to save money.

“My drivers are complaining because the cost to fill it up has changed, and the income they’re getting is not the same,” he said.

Cepis said the continued pain at the pump could push more people toward public transportation as a cheaper alternative.

“PATCO is only $2.80 for a round trip to Philly and Jersey it kind of beats 6 bucks a gallon,” he said.

Public transit systems, however, are also feeling the strain of higher fuel costs, with buses requiring hundreds of gallons of gas or diesel to stay in operation.

As prices continue to rise, drivers and transit operators alike are bracing for further increases and weighing difficult choices to manage the higher costs.