[DM] Gas stations to fix digital signs, can't display gas prices above 199 yen

Started by Sir Pompously, July 14, 2008, 06:25:22 PM

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Sir Pompously

This situation happened in Australia when our prices went above two digits and they started taping on a 1 infront of each sign.

QuoteGas stations rush to fix digital signs that can't display gas prices above 199 yen


A signboard that can only display a "1" for the figure in the hundreds is pictured at a gas station in Tokyo.

Gas stations across Japan are rushing to fix digital signs that can't display gasoline prices higher than 199 yen per liter amid predictions that the price will climb to the 200 yen mark, industry insiders say.

Officials say the change is likely to result in big costs for gasoline distribution companies.

"The cost of the upgrades will be in the range of several hundred million yen per company," an official at one major distributor said.

Most current digital signboards at Japanese gas stations can only display a "1" in the hundreds column. Cosmo Oil Co. said that it would change light-emitting diodes on about 450 digital signs to be able to display prices up to 999 yen per liter. Signs for kerosene will also be changed to display prices up to 9,999 yen.

Officials at The Oil Information Center in Japan said the average retail price of gasoline stood at 181.5 yen per liter for regular fuel and 192.4 yen per liter for high octane petrol as of July 7.

With a record high recorded in the oil futures market on Friday, rising crude oil prices show no sign of abating, and prices could hit the 200-yen level anytime, industry insiders say.

Oil distributors besides Cosmo are also considering changing their digital signboards.

"From this month onwards, we will introduce upgraded signboards that go up to 999 yen at new gas stations," a representative of Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. said.


(Mainichi Japan) July 12, 2008