As fuel prices continue to rise, some drivers are reportedly resorting to illegal actions, such as filling up their tanks and leaving without paying.

In a recent incident, a man has been accused of siphoning hundreds of dollars worth of diesel from a truck parked in the southwest area of Sydney.

Nationwide, petrol theft has surged by 10 to 50 percent, exacerbating the already strained fuel supply situation.

A petrol station in Petersham, an inner-west suburb, is among those witnessing a noticeable increase in drivers taking desperate measures to cope with high fuel costs.

“We urge everyone to consider their neighbors and refrain from taking more fuel than necessary,” Transport Minister John Graham stated today.

In another incident in Milperra, located in Sydney’s southwest, a man was allegedly caught in the act by a passerby, who detained him until police arrived.

The 43-year-old is accused of siphoning fuel from a truck into a large tank in the back of his van. 

He was charged with stealing and will face court next month. 

The owner of the truck said about $1500 worth of fuel that was allegedly stolen. Police made the alleged thief siphon it back in before driving off.

In NSW, 66 petrol stations have run dry, 229 are out of diesel and 371 have just one type of fuel left. 

The consumer watchdog is fielding thousands of complaints about prices every day and calls are growing from unions and other groups to make public transport free to alleviate some of the pain.

Victoria and Tasmania have done so and fares in Queensland were already just 50 cents before the US and Israel attacked Iran, which responded by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz through which 20 per cent of the world’s oil flows.

But the NSW government is standing firm against making public transport free, flagging it needs every dollar to prepare for the crisis to deepen.

“At the moment our consideration is how can we make sure there are enough services to make sure people have that option of a cheap train fare compared to the expensive car ride,” Graham said.

” … I have to be really clear about this, this situation will last more than a month. We need to keep our powder dry to assist the broader economy.”

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