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French petrol prices rise as companies profit from crisis

Ben McPartland
Ben McPartland - [email protected]
French petrol prices rise as companies profit from crisis

French petrol companies are taking advantage of the fuel crisis by putting up the prices of fuel.

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According to reports the price of diesel at some motorway service stations has risen by as much as 30 centimes.

France’s National Road Committee (CNR) has reported an average rise of 6.6 percent in the cost of a litre of diesel between May13th and May24th.

Carbeo, an internet site that compares fuel prices in petrol stations, has reported the average cost of a litre of diesel having risen by 4.4 percent in the last week in France.

A spokesman for the Organisation of European Road Transport (OTRE) told The Local that they’re not too worried about the hike in fuel prices.
 
“There shouldn’t be any very serious consequences,” a representative said, adding that they’re telling their clients not to worry. 
 
“We think the prices won’t go up too much more, and by the end of the next week they should come back down to normal market price.”
 
At the same time, he doesn't think that the rise in price is fair. 
 
“We can understand that there are consequences, that they need to raise their prices because they have their own personal fees, but there are the limits that shouldn’t be surpassed.”
 
Part of the price hikes can be attributed to the general rise in the cost of petrol across the board, but that still doesn’t account for the big jumps witnessed at petrol stations in France.

A spokesman for the France’s competition and anti-fraud commission the DGCCRF could not confirm a hike in petrol prices, saying it was too early to tell.

But given that petrol prices in France could be set freely there was in any case nothing the government body could do to stop companies taking advantage of the crisis.

On the roads however, motorists were getting annoyed.

David, a moped rider, told Le Parisien newspaper how he had spent €18 filling his tank, when the normal cost is around €11.

“It’s the most I’ve ever spent in my life to fill the tank,” he said.

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