Cyprus: Petrol (gas) station strikes

[Mands&Ian]

Anyone intending to visit Cyprus, particularly if they plan to hire a car, should be aware that petrol (gas) stations are currently on strike.

The strike began yesterday and is intended to last for 8 days. One day #1 about 20% of petrol stations, mostly independents, remained open; on day #2 pretty much ever station on the island is closed.

In cruise terms those most impacted will be people who have pre-booked hire cars. If they are delivered with empty tanks it seems unlikely that, for the duration of the strike, it will be possible to buy petrol. Less likely, but still a concern, would be that pre-planned tours may not be able to proceed due to lack of fuel.

The background to the strike is a decision by the government to impose a cap, for 8 days, on the price of fuel. They believe that wholesale prices have reduced significantly but that those reductions are not being passed on to consumers. The petrol station chains are unhappy at this so, in retaliation, are refusing to sell fuel at the lower price. When the government removes the cap they will restart sales.

Who will blink first? This is an island that is very car-focused. Without access to petrol many, many people will find their activities severely restricted. Whether the government will allow this to continue for the full 8 days, resulting in all normal activity grinding to a halt, remains to be seen.

Mands
Who has a quarter of a tank of petrol left