Illustrative photo. (Source: Getty Images/szakalikus)
BRATISLAVA – The war in the Middle East is causing an oil crisis, the likes of which we have never had here in the modern world, it is bringing new situations. A sharp increase in fuel prices, restrictions on refueling or double prices – this is also a current practice in Slovakia. However, the authorities also came up with another restriction, which is supposed to save diesel. And that is the reduction of the maximum speed. So where to be careful about your foot on the gas?
More expensive fuel for foreign motorists, a maximum of 50 liters per car refueling, 400 euros for trucks and 10 liters for a canister. These are the latest restrictions, some of which are already in place, while others will come into effect from midnight on Monday. They won’t release the numbers. The Strait of Hormuz is still closed, the bombing of energy infrastructure in Iran and Israel has caused oil prices to rise sharply and currently reach their highest level in the last 4 years, while the price has already crossed the $110 per barrel mark. Until recently, the price was half that and cost around 60 dollars per barrel. This pushes fuel prices up sharply, and in neighboring countries they attack the 2 euro per liter mark.
Archives VIDEO Press conference of Robert Fico and Denisa Sakova from the Government Office
Press conference of Robert Fico and Denisa Sakova from the Government Office (Source: Topky/Vlado Anjel)
However, the oil crisis brought about by the war in the Middle East will probably have other restrictions that motorists probably did not expect. Experts want to reduce the maximum permitted speed on highways by 10 kilometers per hour. For Slovaks, this would mean that they could drive at a maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour on highways and expressways. The tough rescue plan was announced by the International Energy Agency (IEA), reports autoviny.sk.
Return to Home-office?
And the speed limit on the highway is supposed to be the main weapon in the fight against fuel shortages. According to experts, driving slower on the highway can be a key fuel saver, as fuel consumption drops by 5 to 10 percent when you reduce your speed by at least 10 kilometers per hour. In total, this will reduce the demand for oil by 6 percent, at the level of the entire state.
According to experts, the Slovak government should not be idle and the proposed changes could be implemented immediately, on the fly, by using electronic information boards on highways and expressways. In addition, the government can appeal to the authorities and the public sector to lead by example. If, for example, the zero bypass of Bratislava can currently be driven at a maximum speed of 130 kilometers per hour, after the introduction of restrictions it would be a maximum of 120 kilometers per hour. For those who would be skeptical of the proposal, the IEA sends a concrete example – Pakistan. As a result of the oil crisis, he already reduced the maximum speed on highways from 120 to 100 kilometers per hour, while the restrictions also affected freight transport.
However, the IEA has another option up its sleeve to ensure a lower demand for fuels, which we already tested during the coronavirus pandemic – and that is a higher use of working from home, or limiting unnecessary business trips with the use of air transport. Another option is the ban on driving a car in big cities one day a week, which they called “car-free Sundays”.
