Kamloops drivers are still seeing high prices at the pump, and the head of Petroleum Analysis at GasBuddy says it’s simply because of “a lack of competition.”

While the wholesale price of gasoline has started coming down in the last week, drivers in some communities, including Kamloops, have yet to see that same relief. In fact, drivers here are paying more that those in the Lower Mainland.

Patrick DeHaan says it is because gas stations in Kamloops have not been passing along those lower prices to drivers.

“Stations are just not eager to lower prices, and they’re sitting on pretty healthy margins,” he said. “As a result, stations are making more money by holding up the savings that they should be passing along and that’s what’s keeping prices higher in Kamloops; an absence of healthy competition.”

“We’ve seen prices in B.C. fall about three cents a litre in the last week but Kamloops is really barely moved.”

DeHaan acknowledges it has been a difficult year with prices actively trending up, however, he hopes stations in Kamloops start reducing their prices in the next couple of days.

“We should see prices dipping under $2 a litre in the next couple of weeks, as long as there are no flare-ups or drastic changes,” he said, while also admitting it is hard to know how long it might until Kamloops drivers see some relief at the pump.

“Once one station goes down, another might go down and another could follow, and that’s where you can see a little bit more healthy competition coming from,” DeHaan added. “It is really impossible to know who’s going to move first and when that might be, I would hope the situation would improve the next few days.”

A majority of Kamloops gas stations are still selling gas for $2.16 a litre which is four cents above the B.C. average of $2.12 a litre.