Petrol consumption in France was down 15% in June when compared to the same month last year.

The high figures have been attributed to the rising cost of fuel according to the President of the Union of French petrol Industries (Ufip) Jean-Louis Schilansky – who produced the statistics.

Mr Schilansky said: “It’s been a long time since we saw a drop like this.”
He added that one other factor that could have boosted the drop was the fewer number of bank holidays this year – meaning less households took to the roads.

According to the Ufip, the price of petrol is dropping slightly following recent rises. While the average price was €1.48 on July 18, it was now €1.47

Photo:Kiril Havezov