W2C-006 Belfast Telegraph 5-4.txt
Shell sails into fare bias row Martin Hill

Shell forecourts have sailed into a "discrimination" row over ferry crossings.

The oil company is in deep water for not taking part in a half-price fare offer - because they say people in Northern Ireland aren't interested.

Shell filling stations in England, Scotland and Wales all run the promotion, which offers free travel with every 12 litres of petrol.

Twelve vouchers get you a free foot-passenger return ticket on any Stena Sealink crossing.

Thirty vouchers entitle you to half-price travel for a car and five people across the Irish Sea or the English Channel.

But Shell says, because many of the promotions are run in conjunction with British Rail, there would be no demand here.

And they 're giving away toy cars to customers, instead.

Now motorists are threatening to give Shell pumps a wide berth.

Excuse
Robin Boyd, from Cormorant Park in Belfast, said: "I certainly won't be going into a Shell garage - unless I 'm running on empty.
"To say people here wouldn't be interested in half-price ferry travel is a very feeble excuse. I feel we 're being discriminated against.

"My son lives in England and he saved up the vouchers to buy the ticket and posted it to me. It means a saving of about £ 100.

"Yet they say we wouldn't be interested in it here.

A Shell spokeswoman said that, after a Heritage wine glass promotion finished in August, there was a six-week gap with no offer.

"We didn't go in on the free travel promotion because many of the deals involved British Rail and we don't have it here," she said.

"In the meantime, we have the Classic Cars promotion until another national one begins at the end of the month and we 'll be participating in that."
