ORLANDO, Fla. \u2014\u00a0Gas prices remain over $4 a gallon heading into the weekend for the first time in four years.<\/p>\n
What You Need To Know<\/p>\n
The national average for a gallon of regular exceeded $4\/gallon this week for the first time since August 2022
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Crude oil prices have been surging, surpassing $100\/barrel, as the conflict in the Middle East\u00a0continues\u00a0and the Strait of Hormuz\u00a0remains\u00a0closed
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Friday\u2019s average of $4.08 is 10 cents higher than last week and\u00a0$1.08 higher than a month ago
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Owners of shuttle services in Orlando say they have been impacted by this increase resulting in having to reduce their operations<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are high, there\u2019s no question about it, they are really high,\u201d Tim Szlosek said. He lives in Long Island and is visiting Central Florida for a family wedding. He says he didn\u2019t expect gas to be such a big expense for this trip.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’m filling up a rental car, which is even worse. it feels like it feels more painful when it’s not really your gas,\u201d Szlosek said. \u201cFor eight gallons, $40, so not great.\u201d<\/p>\n
The increase is also impacting business owners who operate shuttle services for customers flying in and out of Orlando International Airport<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe focus on port to port, so that’s a 45-mile commute every single day, right? So, filling up a vehicle like this used to be about $70, $80. Now it’s gone up to $114. You know, last month with all our vehicles, we went from about $3,500, $4,000 in gas to $10,000 in gas,\u201d Manny Vargas said. He is the owner of SmoothSail Shuttles<\/a>.<\/p>\n Other transportation companies like MEARS<\/a> are also feeling the effect of the increase in gas prices. A notice on the MEARS website shows that a 3% fuel surcharge will be added to all reservations until further notice.<\/p>\n Vargas said they have tried to find ways to adapt before having to pass the cost to the customers, but that has also meant his staff is impacted.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to limit the vehicles that we send out, so guess what that means, certain employees are going to stay at home,\u201d Vargas said. \u201cWe gotta cut costs until gas comes down. What comes up comes down, is always going to come down. But we have to maneuver and adjust during these times.\u201d<\/p>\n