This Website Shows You Nearby Gas Stations With the Cheapest Prices

(SPOT.ph) Long lines have been forming at gas stations this week as motorists rush to fill up before another expected fuel price increase kicks in amid tensions in the Middle East. In some areas, stations have even run out of supplies. If you, like many others, are trying to figure out where to get the cheapest gas, this new website will make that search much easier.

MetroFuel Tracker shows a live map of nearby gas stations so drivers can quickly compare fuel prices without driving from station to station. The best part? It works straight from a web browser so you don’t need to download an app or create an account to use it.

The project was created by Alexander Miguel Sy, a web developer who says he built the tool after growing frustrated with constantly fluctuating gas prices. So over the weekend, he built MetroFuel Tracker, which he describes as “essentially Waze, but strictly for gas prices.”

It currently lists over 1,500 gas stations across Metro Manila.

The platform relies on a crowdsourced system in which drivers update fuel prices at stations they visit. A kind of bayanihan system, if you will.

Sy told SPOT.ph that more than 500 individuals have already contributed price updates so far, with some users submitting multiple entries to help keep the information current.

Also read: This App Lets You 'Lock In' Fuel Prices Before They Go Up

Select your city on MetroFuel Tracker to open the map view.

As of writing, the platform covers several cities in Metro Manila, including Makati, Manila, Quezon City, Pasig, Mandaluyong, Taguig, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela, San Juan, Marikina, and Pateros. Sy said he hopes to expand MetroFuel Tracker to more cities in the future—and eventually, nationwide.

Gas stations appear as colored boxes labeled by brand, including Petron (PTR), Shell (SHL), Caltex (CAL), Unioil (UNI), and Total (TTL), among others. You can also filter results by brand and fuel type using the controls located at the bottom right corner of the screen.

The colors indicate price levels: green means prices are below average, yellow means prices are near the average, red means above-average prices, while gray means no price data has been submitted yet.

Clicking on a station shows the reported prices for diesel, unleaded, and premium fuel. Do note that the price entries appear in green once the box is opened, regardless of whether the gas station’s prices are above or below average. As seen below, Google Maps and Waze navigation are also available, so you can easily open the app and get directions to your selected gas station.

If you notice that the price is no longer accurate, you can edit the entry using the pencil icon to reflect the new rates.

Sy said the website uses "geofence validation" where users can only update a station’s prices if they are within about five kilometers of the station. This is in place to help prevent false submissions. Each entry also shows when the price was last updated so motorists can see how recent the information is. Other users can downvote entries they believe are wrong.

Sy said the MetroFuel Tracker is ultimately meant to be a community tool rather than a business, adding that it was primarily designed to help TNVS drivers who are most affected by rising fuel costs.

"As the platform grows, expanding coverage and adding new features will also mean higher operating and maintenance costs. I’m currently exploring sustainable ways to support these future expansions while keeping the tracker free and accessible to the community," Sy told SPOT.ph.

"If you have ideas or know organizations that might find value in supporting a community-driven fuel tracker, feel free to reach out."

Sy can be reached at alex.miguel.sy@gmail.com

Also read: Should the Philippines Be Worried About Conflict in the Middle East?