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"French taxi drivers said on Friday that soaring fuel prices linked to the Middle East conflict were putting severe pressure on their businesses, with many fearing closure. Footage shows National Taxi Federation secretary Dominique Buisson filling up his cab at a petrol station while other vehicles wait in line for fuel. Buisson said that as taxi fares are regulated by the French government, cab companies can't pass the additional costs to customers. "Companies that are already, I would say, financially in the red. They've already started laying off workers, but once there's no one left to lay off and the vehicles aren't running anymore, there's only one option left: to shut down," he explained. Diesel prices have increased by around 40 percent per litre on average since February 2026, with Super 98 rising by nearly 20 per cent per litre in France. "Today, [taxi drivers] are forced to use what little profit margin we had to make up for these losses," Buisson stressed, adding, "With prices up by more than 50 cents a litre, this is obviously having a direct impact on our revenue." He added that taxi companies asked the finance and transport ministries to reimburse drivers for fuel costs exceeding €1.80 per litre and to introduce insurance mechanisms similar to those in the aviation sector, but are still awaiting a response. The French government launched a €70 million ($80 million) emergency support plan to protect the transport, farming, and fishing sectors from a 'price volatility crisis'. According to media reports, small and medium-sized road transport firms will receive €50 million in aid, equivalent to a flat-rate payment of €0.20 per litre, under the measures. "Our cash flow is already being strained today. We need liquidity now. Not in a month, not in six months, not in a year. We are calling for immediate action," he said, warning that the country might be heading for a crisis similar to that during the COVID pandemic. He also warned that taxi drivers are ready to 'take action', adding that their frustration has reached its peak. "You don't just start a war like that, overnight, just like that," said a taxi driver. "Donald Trump isn't the king of the world. He can't just do whatever he wants!" "Everyone is feeling the pinch," another driver stated, adding, "Filling up with diesel at €2.30 a litre really hurts." The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global chokepoint, with approximately 20 per cent of the world's total oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies passing through it daily. Amid the Middle East conflict, Iran's de facto blockade of the 21-mile-wide waterway has disrupted about 20 million barrels of daily oil flow, pushing international oil prices up to $100 per barrel."
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