Strasbourg (dpa / lsw) - Due to bottlenecks at France's gas stations, fuel can no longer be sold in canisters in departments on the border with Germany. The ban came into effect in Alsace on Thursday and is expected to last up to and including Wednesday (October 19), according to the authorities. Because of comparatively low fuel prices, many motorists from Germany fill up in France in the border area.
A ban also applies in the Moselle department with the main town of Metz on the border with Rhineland-Palatinate. There are exceptions in the administrative districts for certain professional groups. Violators could be fined, the prefectures warned.
Refineries have been on strike in France for some time. There are bottlenecks at about a third of the gas stations across the country, drivers are queuing, jostling or driving through the cities for hours in search of fuel.
The reason for the price differential at the gas stations in the border area are different rules in Germany and France. While the so-called tank discount has long since expired in Germany, France is granting a discount at the pump. According to earlier information, instead of the initial 18 cents, a discount of 30 cents per liter of petrol or diesel will be granted on the mainland in October. In the following months, the tank discount should then melt away in France as well.
