SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — With gas prices rising sharply, a long-debated issue in New Jersey may be coming up at just the right time — a bill that gives people the option to pump their own gas.
New Jersey is the last state where it's illegal to pump your own gas. That has become a big problem for some service stations in the last couple of years, as employers say they can't find enough people to work.
"It’s common for gas pumps to be blocked by orange cones. It's not because there's no gas at the pump. It's because there's no employee at the pump," said Sal Risalvato, executive director of the New Jersey Gasoline-Convenience Store-Automotive Association.
In addition to alleviating service problems, he added this would also save people time and money. "That's a pump you could pull over to, fill your own gas, and be gone," said Risalvato. "Right now, they will save 15 cents a gallon or more."
Similar self-serve bills have failed in the past, but according to supporters, there appears to be more of an appetite for change now. Assemblyman Ned Thomson of Monmouth County, who co-sponsors the bill, said it just makes sense at this point to join the rest of the country in giving the option to pump yourself.
Digging deeper into the debate and legislative push for making self-serve gas a reality in New Jersey on this episode of The Jawncast. LISTEN below:
However, Thomson stipulated there will still be an option for full service at stations with four or more pumps, and choice is an important part of the legislation.
"You don't have to do it. I can't stress that enough. You still have the full service available to you," he said. "All we're trying to do is make it more convenient and cheaper for folks that would take the initiative to pump their own gas.”
The bill would require full service at self-service prices for seniors and people with disabilities.
It still has a long way to go before it's passed. The next step would be going to committee hearings in the Senate and Assembly before coming up for a full vote.
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