The company failed to display daily ($2000 fine) and monthly ($2500 fine) terminal gate prices of petroleum products at its Kewdale depot last September. The new maximum penalty is $20,000 on each charge, up from $10,000 per charge under the old regime.

The company said it was under the understanding the ruling affected only unleaded petrol prices. It corrected the error and displayed all relevent prices as soon as the error was brought to the compnay's attention.

It also said the Department of Consumer Protection had given BP the impression there was room for interpretation, an argument rejected by Magistrate Giuseppe Cicchini. He accepted BP bore no wilful intent to disobey the law.