Little heads up for those that will be here on the above date. There is a planned nationwide demonstration against the hike in diesel and petrol prices here in France (diesel up 23%, petrol 14% since January) So expect lots of motorways, ring roads and main arterial roads to be blocked by demonstrations. There will also be demonstrations near the petrol terminals like Rennes, le Havre, Caen, Bordeaux etc.
This is not being organised by the unions, though I’m sure their banners will be present, this has been organised by individuals, members of the public that started an on-line petition to get the French people to remonstrate against this hike and future increases. There is another expected rise planned for 2019, 6 cents on diesel and 4 cents on petrol.
possibly they have taken note of the recent protests in egypt where the price of a litre of diesel has rocketed skywards to approximately 45 pence per litre.
they went bananas as this made such a difference to the price there than in saudi arabia where it something like 28 pence per litre.
obviously nobody in the uk is aware of this as currently our generous goverments duty is 57.9 per litre then its plus 20% on the total price including the duty they whacked on in the first place,as if there was,then posibly we could have a riot/demonstration here for a change.
kinda makes you wonder how the taliban go to the bother of coming over here to drive cars?
Thanks for the warning.
17th Nov is a Saturday, I note.
Thanks for the heads up -
If there’s one thing done well here it’s protesting - Donges is bound to be a target.
Another 6 cents after 6 cents in Jan 2018 is hurting everyone along with the global oil prices the Gov are rakeing it in .
Damaging Macrons popularity again ,Still better than the Uk and the farce of Brexit . At least we have cheap wine and a protesting population which at least gets taken notice of.
On the downside if there are blockades and we can’t get out of the refinery on the Saturday a derogation will be issued and we get to work Sunday instead .
Also Thursday 01/11/2018 is a bank holiday - Whoop whoop - so i get to run on Saturday to make up …
Quick update on next Saturday. The numbers that will be taking part, going by the news and social media sites, is getting bigger by the minute. News broadcasters are advising people to do their shopping on Friday or earlier as they envisage there to be complete pandemonium in the streets. Nothing is actually being boycotted or blocked, except maybe the refineries, but they think that just the volume of people actually demonstrating will bring town centres, shopping centres, ring roads etc. to a halt, they, the demonstrators, aren’t walking but using their vehicles.
Most of you that deliver or travel through France probably wont be affected as you won’t be here as it’s on a Saturday, but I know that there will be some of you heading back to ports on Saturday or arriving here Friday night/Saturday morning to get a head start for the following week, it could affect you. There are those of you also that live here.
The Gendarmerie have reported that they will not be giving out PV’s (fines) on Saturday for offences, i.e. obstruction, as they are in agreement with the action. They are affected by the increase too… Obviously any serious motor offences will still be dealt with, it won’t be an open book to create mayhem!
The following Monday, 19th, there are planned demos also, including rolling blockades by truckers, taxi drivers, ambulance drivers, all of those that use vehicles for their income, on certain major routes, it could go on for a few days.
There has been a large call for solidarity to all French people, by those organising this day of action, they have asked all those in agreement with this call for action and a halt to the increase and to support the 17th November, to put their hi-vis on the dashboard of the vehicle they drive, be it car, van, works vehicle, bus, coach or truck. I have to say that as the days go by, more and more people are doing this, maybe some of you that drive here have noticed the hi-vis’s and wondered what it was all about, now you know.
Slight stray off post.I believe that Spain is going to increase fuel price by 29% in january.
I have to admire the French for having more gumption than us in this situation but our police would be used by our government like a blunt instrument to beat us over the head.
We all know that it is a huge con to overload fuel prices.I sympathise with all the people who drop dead at the roadside as I drive past as i drive my diesel car around.
Gidders:
Slight stray off post.I believe that Spain is going to increase fuel price by 29% in january.
I have to admire the French for having more gumption than us in this situation but our police would be used by our government like a blunt instrument to beat us over the head.
We all know that it is a huge con to overload fuel prices.I sympathise with all the people who drop dead at the roadside as I drive past as i drive my diesel car around.
Maybe then, those of us who drive Euro-zero 4x4 gas guzzlers need to be even more sympathetic than drivers of modern diesels such as yours?
I`ll try to cultivate a beatific smile and adopt a less confrontational attitude in my future homocid…umm… drives. 
Well, looking at the news on the French TV, actual footage, there has been a very big turnout of disgruntled people, all over France.
Some areas, the demos will be continuing well into the week.
Looking forward to my run to Bar-le-Duc near Verdun tomorrow afternoon, not.
Franglais, Spardo and Craig, hows it been in your neck of the woods?
I left Saint Nazaire at 09.30 this morning for Lannion. Donges was bad.
Ok till Rennes then blocked
St.Brieuc blocked
Parked up by the Gendarmerie as the road to Lannion is blocked after Guingamp.Parked up 19.30
Maybe next week she said
My boss wet himself
Unfortunately,according to BBC Teletext news a young female protester has been reported as killed by a "panicking"car driver at one location.It seems that there were over 2000 separate protests throughout France today.
I wonder what circumstances could result in the same degree of protest from us docile,mealy mouthed Brits.
I’m not a “musn’t grumble” or a revolutionary kind of guy but our crop of politicians are becoming more disgraceful as time passes.
Gidders:
Unfortunately,according to BBC Teletext news a young female protester has been reported as killed by a "panicking"car driver at one location.It seems that there were over 2000 separate protests throughout France today.
I wonder what circumstances could result in the same degree of protest from us docile,mealy mouthed Brits.
I’m not a “musn’t grumble” or a revolutionary kind of guy but our crop of politicians are becoming more disgraceful as time passes.
First of all , I apologise OwenM for not mentioning you earlier, forgot that you reside here too 
, apologies also to any other ex-pats that I have forgotten to mention that live here in France .
Gidders, don’t you just love the BBC for their immaculate correct reporting 
The person that died was actually a 60 year old woman, that was run over , as you say, by a panicking female driver.
Sorry,Pierrot.I hate to defend the scrupulously balanced BBC but this was my mistake.I cross referred another article I was reading and inserted “young” by mistake.The female part was correct,though! Insert blushing emoji here.
Gidders:
Sorry,Pierrot.I hate to defend the scrupulously balanced BBC but this was my mistake.I cross referred another article I was reading and inserted “young” by mistake.The female part was correct,though!
There you go inserted :lol
Off the eurotunnel at 2300 local time to to Boulogne, nothing happening, got to boulogne port and they had just put tyres out across the road. Reversed back onto the roundabout and took a less desirable route along the seafront, banners and burnt tyres by the side of the road that way too.
Hopefully I’ll be able to get out in the morning.
What a joke!!!
Been stuck on N10 (Angoulême) for nearly 6 hours now, what do these fools think their going to achieve by holding up foreign trucks? The two wheel clowns were going up and down the road earlier asking us dumb fckers to move so the French car drivers could get pass and get home, what do the dumbo’s do?? Yes they move. Instead of blocking the two lanes and the hard shoulder so they’d have to let traffic through in order to get their buddies home.
I used to respect the French for standing together, but holding foreign only trucks I now have a different opinion. Clowns !!!
Now a lot of us are outta time and dont ya know in a couple weeks the French cops
Will only be too happy to do us on infringements for their ■■■■ up.
Monday 19th.
I’ve heard of a few serious blockades, and been able to avoid them so far. Got held up at one smaller one where the protesters were letting vehicles through in batches.
Looking at traffic on Google Maps has been really helpful in route planning. Probably dropped a couple of hours on diversions, but still mobile.
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Tuesday morning.
107,7 ASF says blockades in their area now lifted.
Goggle maps showing problems on Caen rocade but Rennes Nantes Bx all ok.
Snow plough/gritters said to be working in Savoie.
If it ain’t one thing…
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Got one of mine stuck south of Chartres on the ring road. Heading towards Orleans hopefully.
albion:
Got one of mine stuck south of Chartres on the ring road. Heading towards Orleans hopefully.
That was showing red/black on Goggle yesterday and earlier this morning. I scooted around a different route, but that isn’t an option for your guys I guess. Seems St Lo A84 still has some blocked in since yesterday morning.
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Franglais:
albion:
Got one of mine stuck south of Chartres on the ring road. Heading towards Orleans hopefully.That was showing red/black on Goggle yesterday and earlier this morning. I scooted around a different route, but that isn’t an option for your guys I guess. Seems St Lo A84 still has some blocked in since yesterday morning.
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He’s got moving now. Actually, this one just has empty cases on, so he can wander where he likes!