Slovenia became the first European Union member state to introduce fuel rationing in March, restricting private motorists to 50 litres of fuel per day as disruption linked to US and Israeli strikes on Iran drove up regional energy prices, the BBC reported.
Businesses and farmers were granted a higher daily allowance of 200 litres under the measures, which require petrol station staff to police purchase limits at the pump, according to the BBC. The government also urged retailers to impose tighter restrictions on foreign drivers.
The restrictions followed a surge in so-called fuel tourism, with drivers from neighbouring Austria crossing the border to take advantage of Slovenia’s regulated, lower fuel prices, the BBC reported. At the time, petrol in Austria was approaching EUR1.80 ($1.94) a litre and diesel close to EUR2.00 ($2.15), against capped prices in Slovenia of EUR1.47 ($1.58) for petrol and EUR1.53 ($1.65) for diesel.
Prime Minister Robert Golob sought to reassure the public that supply remained stable despite the new limits. “Let me reassure you that there is enough fuel in Slovenia, the warehouses are full and there will be no fuel shortages,” he said, cited by the BBC.
Hungarian fuel retailer MOL, which operates petrol stations across the region, had already introduced its own 30-litre daily limit before Slovenia’s nationwide measures came into effect, according to the BBC.
The rationing drew mixed reactions domestically, with some residents expressing frustration at the strain foreign drivers placed on local fuel supplies, while others welcomed the additional spending the cross-border traffic brought to nearby businesses, the BBC reported.