Fuel tax revolt spreads Belgium, Spain also hit as France runs short of petrol By CHARLES BREMNER in Paris AS the French government tried to reach a deal with lorry drivers over fuel taxes last night, the revolt against fuel costs spread to Spain and Belgium, where hauliers announced their own protests.

In growing continental anger over oil price rises that have been made more painful by the fall of the euro against the dollar, Belgium's lorry owners' federation called for a national protest tomorrow.

Spanish farmers, fishermen and the owners of lorries and taxis agreed to boycott service stations run by Repsol, the country's biggest oil company. The protesters threatened a national strike from September 15 unless the State forced the oil companies to cut prices.

France has begun running out of petrol as lorry owners, farmers and ambulance companies tightened their grip on oil depots in an attempt to force the Government of Lionel Jospin to cut fuel prices. Local authorities in a dozen departements decreed rationing and some requisitioned petrol stations for public services.

Promises of help from Mr Jospin and sympathetic statements from ministers did nothing to calm a revolt that drew strength last week from the Government's surrender to fishermen who had blockaded the Channel ports. The boat owners were given large tax concessions to offset the cost of their marine diesel.

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The scale of the chaos caused wrought by the drivers' blockade of refineries and fuel depots in protest at high prices seems to have persuaded hauliers to hold out for the full 20 per cent reduction they are demanding. They were offered a 10 per cent cut.

The oil giant Total said nearly three-quarters of its 6,000 outlets in France were closed.

The Government was expected to follow what has become a familiar pattern and capitulate to the protesters in the hope of heading off a broader rebellion against rising fuel prices.

France has Europe's second-highest taxes on fuel, after Britain.

Under the orders of the National Federation of Road Hauliers, heavy lorries blockaded 90 depots and refineries for the second day, triggering a bout of panic-buying by motorists, although supplies were said to be adequate until the end of the week. In the Marseilles area, more than a third of petrol stations had run dry.

About half the petrol stations in Lyons were shut by yesterday evening as the local prefect ordered 12 of them to supply only hospitals, medical and other emergency services. All petrol stations in Grenoble were expected to close by the end of the day.

Haulage employers expect the government to protect them from the commercial blow dealt by 10-year oil price highs. Several large unions have dissociated themselves from the action, saying that any benefits will not be passed on

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), September 07, 2000