Sharjah 24 – WAM: Christophe Bechu, Minister of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion, said that the French government will not ration petrol for drivers or restrict the use of petrol stations in response to supply problems linked to refinery strikes, Reuters reported on Saturday.

"We haven't reached this point yet", Bechu said in an interview with franceinfo radio when asked if the government would impose any national measures beyond a ban to fill jerry cans in some places.

Roughly one in five petrol stations throughout France is not being supplied as it should and strategic oil reserves are likely to be used at the weekend as the strikes at TotalEnergies facilities head into their eleventh day.

A walkout by CGT trade union members at TotalEnergies mainly over pay has disrupted operations at two refineries and two storage facilities, and two Exxon Mobil refineries have faced similar problems since 20th September.

"We are calling on peoples' calm and sense of responsibility", the minister said, adding that he believed the situation would ease over the next few days.