The death of a Thorsby gas station owner Friday has brought up the question: should it be mandatory to pay before you fill up?
A number of gas stations across Alberta are opting to change to pay-at-the-pump after but say it is costly and not always an option.
“We tried to apply the prepaid system,” Sung Hyun Jo, the son of Ki Yun Jo, who died after trying to stop a gas and dash Friday said. “Our gas machines are really old and we don’t have the right machines, it was really expensive.”
B.C. resident Doug Depatie had a similar story 12 years ago when his son was killed in a “gas and dash” incident. The B.C. government has since made it mandatory to pay before filling up.
Alberta’s Labour Minister Christina Gray said she is trying to do the same. She said she has been working on this issue since she was elected. According to her, officers with Occupational Health and Safety have been inspecting hundreds of Alberta service stations and convenience stores over the past two years.
Gray said she plans on having a proposal for the legislation this fall.
With files from Jeremy Thompson
