Top speed goes down to 110 'to save energy'

SPAIN (Agencies/Photo montage by EuropaSur) The Government announced this morning that it had decided to lower the top speed on autovías and autopistas (highways) from 120 Kph to 110, starting on March 7. According to Vice-President Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, this is a "temporary measure" and part of more plans aimed at saving energy, and is "closely related" to the rise in oil and petrol prices resulting from the situation in North Africa. Aside from this speed reduction, another two measures are being put in place:>A drop of 5% in the price of comuter and middle-distance trains (Cercanías and Media Distancia), and a raise to 7% in the mixture used in bio-diesel fuel. The first two become operative on March 7.


Rubalcaba announced at the customary press conference held after the weekly Council of Ministers meeting, that the Government had calculated that reducing the speed limit would reduce petrol consumption by up to 15% and of diesel by 11%.


As to Spain's oil supply, Rubalcaba said that he foresaw "no problem" as the result of the upheavals in North Africa, but he did say that "every time oil rises by €10 a barrel, it adds €6billion to our energy bill."


The Vice-President and Minister of the Interior also said that other more local measures would probably be announced at next Friday's press conference.