FRANCE: Drivers rush to the petrol pumps, largely ignoring calls to avoid panic buying

Record ID: 339490

  • Title: FRANCE: Drivers rush to the petrol pumps, largely ignoring calls to avoid panic buying
  • Date: 18th October 2010
  • Summary: JOINVILLE LE PONT, FRANCE (OCTOBER 17, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TOTAL PETROL STATION WITH SIGN SAYING 'EMPTY' SIGN SAYING 'FUEL SOLD OUT' PETROL PUMPS WITH A COVERING READING: 'OUT OF ORDER' CLOSED PETROL STATION (SOUNDBITE) (French) MOTORIST, NAMIA, SAYING: "I've been to four petrol stations and found nothing. It's a real worry." PETROL GAUGE IN CAR SHOWING EMPTY T
  • Embargoed: 2nd November 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Energy
  • Reuters ID: LVACY0EBZF7IVGVTI84XHBWG2270
  • Story Text: France rushes to petrol pumps to beat fuel shortages, ignoring ministerial calls to avoid panic buying.
    France rushed to the petrol pumps on Sunday (October 17) as motorists fearful of fuel shortages tried to fill up ahead of a week of more bitter industrial strife in which unions are expected to maximise pressure on the government to shelve its plans to hike the retirement age by two years.
    Sunday is normally a quiet day at the pumps. But the tempo picked up dramatically in the afternoon after French midday news bulletins reported intensively on the shortages, which are affecting much of the west of the country as well as the Ile de France region around Paris.
    "I've been to four petrol stations and found nothing. It's a real worry." said one motorist Namia.
    "I wanted to get petrol to be ready for the week but now I'm in trouble because I've only got a little bit left." said motorcyclist Michel Bonnet, "On a motorbike the tanks aren't big and one can't go far -- 180 kilometres. So if the strikes continue, it'll be a problem."
    While another Sandrine said that lack of fuel will be come an increasing problem if it goes on much longer.
    "If it continues for a number of weeks it's going to be worrying. And certainly if the stations aren't resupplied this week, then it's going to be worrying. Afterwards we'll be forced to go on foot" she said, "We're going to have to buy bikes."
    Ministers insist there is more than enough fuel to go around. What is causing the shortages is the fear of shortages, which has led fuel consumption to jump by more than 50 percent.
    All of the country's 12 refineries are either shut or shutting, hit by the strikes. The government has freed up its strategic petroleum reserve to help offset the lost production from the refineries.
    But motorists were fearful that truckers would now join the protest movement, which has spread from set-piece demonstrations to wildcat actions around the country.
    There was no accurate figure for exactly how many petrol stations were affected but Le Monde newspaper on its website said that 300-400 stations of the Total network alone were affected.
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