Tanker strike sees some filling stations dry

Fuel supplies in petrol stations across the country are starting to feel the pinch of a strike by tanker drivers that has restricted deliveries.

The strike called since last Friday by the CGT union, has seen some picket lines set up at fuel depots, mainly in Ile-de-France, as unions demand negotiations with hauliers on transport of dangerous cargoes.

An app, Essence, that is used by up to 500,000 people a month has published a map showing the situation across the country as users report problems at their local filling station.

At the time of writing, the site said only 51 stations out of the 10,800 in the country were having supply problems – being short of diesel or petrol or both – and these were mainly in the area round Paris. This number is updated by app users.

Total said that of its 350 filling stations in Ile-de-France, 21 have no supplies, 61 are short of diesel and 42 have no petrol.

The fuel suppliers’ federation, Union Française des Industries Pétrolières, said the strike had been forecast and supplies had been built up. The only danger for drivers, it said, was if they decided to top up regularly unnecessarily.