FRANKFORT, Ky. — Gas prices could increase under a bill filed earlier this week.

House Bill 580 would change Kentucky’s gas tax to a fixed rate of 34.6 cents per gallon, instead of basing it on the average wholesale price. 

State Rep. Sal Santoro, R-Florence, said it would be an increase of about 10 cents per gallon. 

Santoro says the Transportation Cabinet needs all the money it can get to fix Kentucky’s roads and bridges.

“We just need more funding for our transportation fund. It’s very thin. The cost of materials is going up. Cost of labor is going up. We’re not keeping up.”

Santoro says the average driver would see an additional cost of roughly $12 a year. 

The bill also includes higher vehicle registration fees and new fees on hybrid and fuel-efficient vehicles.

Santoro said those cars still wear down Kentucky’s roads but drivers don’t pay into the system as much because they use less gas.