TIJUANA.- With gas prices in San Diego dipping under $3.00 dollars a gallon, gas stations in Tijuana are taking a hit. According to the Association of Gas Station Owners (APEGT), gas stations in Tijuana have seen a notable drop in sales over the past three months.

While gas prices in Tijuana have been reduced in recent weeks along the border, and continue to drop each Tuesday, the price per gallon is still less in San Diego and many consumers prefer to fill-up north of the border.

Weekly losses are estimated at approximately twenty-thousand liters ( a little over 5,000 gallons) in local gas stations, with some gas stations reporting losses of about 20% per week.

Despite attempts to homogenize gas prices, gas stations in Tijuana are still uneasy as they see that the trend in the U.S. indicates that oil prices will continue to drop. This, coupled with shorter border lines, has made the decision for many to fill up across the border even easier than ever.

Another disadvantage that gasoline stations in Tijuana have when compared to their San Diego counterparts is the common perception that consumers are cheated on the liter. Back in August of this year, thirteen gas stations were sanctioned by the consumer protection agency PROFECO for irregular gas pumps that short-changed consumers. More than 70 others were cited for incomplete liters. According to this same agency, reports of gas stations short selling liters doubled this year when compared to 2013, and tripled when compared to 2014.

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