The cap on fuel prices starts between queues and first drops. The initiative of Eni and Enilive involves, together with the Ip discounts, approximately 4,100 plants. However, workers' organizations are asking for a stable and generalized mechanism. Petrol attendants fear they won't be able to compete with capped prices. Meanwhile, taxi drivers and truck drivers are preparing to mobilize against high fuel prices
Sold out in some petrol stations, from Naples to Florence and Rome. Queues of cars and a first drop in prices also at a national level characterized the first day of the cap on fuel prices at Eni and Enilive service stations - with petrol at 1.99 euros per liter and diesel at 2.19 euros - and of the Socar-Ip discounts. However, there was no general rush to distributors.
To launch the initiative, the Azerbaijani group has calmed prices in 300 distributors out of approximately 3,400 and set the same price lists as the six-legged dog. It now plans to gradually extend the reductions based on an assessment of the market areas, possibly also involving Esso and other operators supplied by IP. Q8 could also follow, if the checks that Palazzo Chigi is carrying out at a diplomatic level with the Kuwaiti group are successful. At the moment the reductions concern approximately 4,100 plants out of 20 thousand.
The calls for a generalized ceiling
From companies to unions, calls have multiplied for the price cap to become general. "The voluntary commitments, when fully operational, cover less than four out of ten distributors, are fixed-term and can be reviewed at any time", said the general secretary of the CISL, Daniela Fumarola, while welcoming the initiatives of Eni and Ip. According to Fumarola, a stable rule is needed that automatically triggers a dynamic ceiling, the same for all operators, when pump prices rise beyond what is justified by the prices. A similar appeal came from the Faib managers Confesercenti and Fegica, who presented a proposal to this effect in Parliament.
From Assopetroli-Assoenergia instead came the request to the government to immediately open a discussion to extend the regulated prices to wholesale sales. In this way we could reach families and businesses that today remain excluded and guarantee balanced conditions of competition for independent operators, who see their survival at risk.
Prices have fallen, but remain high
For the moment, on the road network, the price of petrol has fallen from 2.159 euros on Sunday to 2.152 euros per liter and that of diesel from 2.377 to 2.369 euros per litre, according to Mimit data. Still very high levels. Codacons saw these "small drops" as an important signal after weeks of increases, determined "by the Eni effect". For the National Consumers Union it was necessary to wait a few days to verify whether the other companies would also reduce prices.
Taxi and truck drivers towards mobilisation
Taxi and truck drivers have prepared to mobilize against high fuel prices. The Sicilian road hauliers' committee proclaimed a five-day stoppage starting from 00.01 on October 16 and announced that the protest would continue until the government called. Even the taxi drivers asked for a meeting with the executive, otherwise - they warned - there would be a strike.
The fears of petrol station attendants
Furthermore, petrol stations remained in turmoil: in favor of a price cap but worried about the repercussions of Eni's initiative, "a part of the network will not be able to compete", warned the president of Figisc Confcommercio, Bruno Bearzi. Faib, Fegica and Figisc have also pushed to increase compensation and protection for managers. They also worried about possible fuel shortages. "There were queues, but only in some cases the distributors ran out of stock. If there are problems with logistics, we will see it in the next few days", observed Bearzi.
