No helping hand for fuel prices

BLOW up your tyres: that was the advice to hard-pressed motorists from finance minister Christine Lagarde as she rejected pleas for government help to cope with soaring fuel prices.

Ms Lagarde said motorists had to be more shrewd. Speaking on France Info radio, she said they should “pay close attention to tyre pressures”, cut speed a little and stop “jerky” driving. If drivers were stopped in traffic for longer than 20 seconds, they should cut their engine.

Motorists should also shop around for cheaper petrol.

Speaking just days after the announcement of a social tariff for mobile phones, which followed tariffs for electricity and gas, Ms Lagarde said they could not set up a social tariff for fuel when they were trying to keep a grip on public finances.

“We must wait until the recovery picks up and public finances improve”, she said.

Prices for unleaded SP95 have hit a record of €1.80 in some stations and the average pump price is €1.5067. Two years ago, an average 55-litre fill-up would cost €59: it now costs €83.

Ms Lagarde has a record of giving drivers advice on how to cope with soaring fuel prices: in 2007, she told them to start using bicycles.

This week the Spanish government lowered its speed limit from 130kph to 110kph in an attempt to reduce petrol consumption.

Petrol prices hit a new record
Photo: Richard Villalon - Fotolia.com