REPORT

Mayor and Council . March 9th, 1976
Alderman E.W. Mabbett

Re: Self-Serve Gas Stations

I have gathered together quite a considerable amount of data in relation
to Self-serve Gas Stations. This is all attached. ¥

I feel that our Council should follow the lead of several other Councils
in B.C. by legislating the number of self-serve stations allowed in the
City of Port Coquitlam; for some of the reasons shown herein which have
been taken from the enclosed literature.

1. Safety - fire hazards increase, also no checking of oil, water, tires, etc.

2. Complete loss in many cases, of the smaller operator doing servicing of
vehicles and general mechanical repairs.

3. loss of employment, in some cases as many as 10-15 employees in a service
station.

4. Loss cf apprenticeship programmes for mechanics.

5. Loss of ‘emergency services, such as customers running out of gasoline,
flat tires, etc.

6. No great savings to the customer, as you can note right in Port Coquitlam,
full service is cheaper in some stations.

7. The attached petition from Manitoba also shows that it is believed that
one of the main reasons for the oil companies moving ahead at a fair rate
with self-serve stations, is that they want complete control over narketing
their products, and that this is just one more way of dramatically increasing
the price of their products. :

I would move that the Council of the City of Port Coquitlam set a limit on the
number of Self-Serve Gas Stations in our City; and that the limit be not more
than 20% of the total number of gas station outlets in Port Coquitlam.

Respectfully submitted:

E.W. Mabbett
Alderman