People wishing to travel from the United Kingdom to France this month have been hit with a warning that the country is suffering from a petrol and diesel shortage. Forecourts across the nation have been running dry - with over a quarter reporting that they have no supply at all of one fuel.
It follows strike action taken by French refineries, which tightened supply and caused hectic queues at petrol stations, according to the Mirror. As of midday on Monday [October 10], 2,093 of the country's approximate 11,000 fuel stations were completely out of fuel, whilst 1,101 had run out of one type of fuel, according to the AA.
On Tuesday, meanwhile, the UK Foreign Office issued a warning to those wishing to visit the European nation. It said: "Due to strike action, there are currently shortages of petrol and diesel at some fuel stations in mainland France. Some fuel station operators are limiting how much you can buy. The French Government is advising motorists to avoid filling up where possible. There may be queues at fuel stations."
Travellers are advised to fill up their tanks before leaving the UK, whilst French prime minister Elisabeth Borne has said workers operating petrol depots of ExxonMobil's French branch Esso will be forced into returning to work. The 61-year old has threatened to do the same for those of Total group too.
Speaking at Tuesday's National Assembly, Ms Borne said around 30% of France's petrol stations were experiencing temporary shortages with at least one or more type of fuel. She pointed out strong differences from region to region - with the Paris area and northern France being the most affected places.
She called for urgent dialogue between unions and management as strikers seek pay rises amid soaring inflation, adding: "A salary disagreement does not justify blocking the country".
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