High-tech artificial intelligence is being used by petrol stations to stem the national spike in gasoline theft.
As per SenSen Artificial Intelligence, the system has prevented or recovered $15 million worth of petrol drive-offs, and it is currently in use at over 400 locations across the country.
According to Nathan Rogers, Director of Clients and Markets at SenSen, the device automatically scanned licence plates when a car approached the gas pump and connected to the service stations’ pre-existing CCTV network.
He claimed that when a car was previously reported as having taken fuel from another location that was also employing the technology, an alert alerted the attendants inside. That would disable the bowser.
“What the operator would do if one of them turned red is they would get on the intercom and they would ask that driver to come in and give them a card which will allow them to clear any debt,” Rogers explained.
Fuel theft is common, according to manager Marlene of the Ampol petrol station in Wacol, Brisbane, who only wanted her first name to be used. She spoke with A Current Affair about this. “We are seeing more and more theft every day,” she stated.
“They’re stealing from us and then we have to not employ people around here because we don’t have the money.” According to the Australian Association of Convenience Stores, fuel theft costs Australian retailers more than $70 million a year.
Theo Foukkare, the group’s chief executive, stated that the number had increased by 80% during the previous 12 months.
He attributed the rise in theft to pressures brought on by rising living expenses, skyrocketing fuel prices, and dwindling police resources.
“The majority of fuel drive-offs are from repeat offenders however in the last six to nine months of this year we are seeing a significant increase in new offenders,” Foukkare stated.
