The finding will prompt soul searching in the government, which is considering substantial increases in diesel taxation as part of its strategy to avoid repetition of regular summer ozone peaks in major French cities. This would bring its price at the pumps into line with that of unleaded petrol by 2002. Performed this weekend with polling organisation BVA, the survey shows strong approval for a variety of strategies to combat pollution episodes.
Less support is apparent for three other strategies.
More cars in France run on diesel than in any other European country, largely because of a significant national tax differential between diesel and petrol. More than a third of French cars currently run on diesel, whereas the proportion does not exceed one-fifth in other countries.