Iran Press/Europe: Truckers blocked roads in about 10 regions around France on Saturday to protest against a planned reduction in tax breaks on diesel for road transport, while train and metro services remained heavily disrupted by a strike against pension reform, Euronews reported.
On Friday, December 13th, the ninth day of the strike in France, strikers have blocked 275 kilometers of roads in the province of Ile-de-France with obstacles. Disrupted traffic and created heavy traffic. Protests continue in France to protest the pension reform bill.
Truckers federation Otre (Organisation des Transporteurs Routiers Européens) said it opposed an increase in taxes on diesel for commercial vehicles as part of the government’s draft 2020 budget. In its draft 2020 budget, the government plans to gradually reduce tax breaks on fuel for trucks between July 1.
French TV showed images of trucks blocking motorways in several parts of the country including the Ile-de-France. Passenger cars were allowed to pass slowly, but many foreign trucks were forced to stop.
Last year, President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist government dropped plans to increase taxes on fuel for passenger cars after the yellow vest movement against the plan morphed into a nationwide and often violent anti-government protest.
Meanwhile, French public transport systems were paralyzed on Thursday and Friday by a strike against planned pension reforms. 212/104
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