RATIONING OF PETROL

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28154, 18 December 1956, Page 15

RATIONING OF PETROL

“Shemozzle” In Britain

(Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, December 17. A storm of criticism over the arrangements for petrol rationing, which came into force at midnight, faces the Government, today’s morning newspapers report. A barrage of 44 questions on anomalies in the scheme will be fired at the Minister of Fuel and Power (Mr Aubrey Jones) in the House of Commons, the “Daily Mail” said. The key issue at a Cabinet meeting to be called this morning before the Commons session will be whether there should be a fresh appraisal of the basic ration for all users so that essential users would be sure of getting what they needed, the “Daily Mail” said.

The basic ration for private purposes is sufficient for 200 miles motoring a month. Supplementary allowances will be given to essential users after individual consideration. Under a headline. “Supplementary shemozzle,” the “Daily Express” said there was such chaos amongst lorry firms that 12 Transport Commission offices had been ordered to issue interim supplementary rations to hauliers to get them through the first weeks of rationing. Most haulage firms had not received any supplementary coupons. Scores of firms reported that basic coupons had arrived too late to distribute among dispersed truck fleets, the paper said. As the result of rationing and dearer petrol, the prices of goods transported by vehicles have shot upward, or show signs of doing . so. An estimated 40.000 workers, mainly in the motorcar industry, have been put on short time.

Taxis will add 6d to each fare from today. Special transport services to sporting events have had to be cancelled, hitting attendances severely. The price of petrol in France, where supplies are already rationed, went up by 8d a gallon at midnight. In Paris, petrol will now cost the equivalent of 6s 9d a gallon.