By JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@thecitizennews.com

Pull up to the gas pump these days and you're likely to incur a severe state of sticker shock.

Gas prices have jumped to their highest level in five years and it looks like there's no end in sight.

“Gasoline prices have risen to this high level in response to low inventories of crude oil,” said Yoli Buss, director of traffic safety for AAA Auto Club South.

Buss added that several nations aligned with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries have also deliberately cut back on oil production to raise prices around the globe.

In the last month, gas prices for unleaded have jumped more than 7.5 cents a gallon and are nearly 30 cents from last June.

That rationale doesn't help the thousands of commuters in the county who are seeing more of their disposable income pumped into the gas tank.

Around Fayette and Coweta counties, travelers are paying around $1.25 for unleaded and nearly $1.50 a gallon for premium gasoline.

Last year, residents were paying more than 40 cents a gallon less for unleaded, with prices at 81 cents a gallon.

In the last five years, the previous highest gas rate in February was 1.10 in 1997.

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