Fuel sales at Dutch petrol stations near the borders with Belgium and Germany fell further in February as motorists crossed the borders to fill up their cars.

Figures from the Bovag and NOVE garage owners’ associations show both private customers and transport firms are taking advantage of the cheaper fuel prices in Germany and Belgium.

According to website brandstofprijzen.nl, petrol costs around €1.78 a litre in the Netherlands, compared with €1.57 in Germany and €1.61 in Belgium.

In February petrol sales were down 18% while diesel fell 39% and lpg sales 42%, compared with a year earlier.  Some 70 petrol stations located less than 5km from the border provided their figures.

Treasury 

In the Netherlands as a whole, fuel sales fell by 84 million litres. ‘That is costing the treasury €43m,’ Bovag director Koos Burgman told broadcaster Nos.

The downturn in customers meant sales of snacks, sandwiches and cigarettes also fell by just over one-fifth.

Ministers said earlier they plan to evaluate this year’s fuel tax hike in May or June.