Iran gasoline use drops 16.6 pct after price hike

Iranian gasoline useage dropped by 16.6 percent on the first day after the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad implemented a deeply unpopular four-fold price rise, the oil ministry website said on Monday.

“On Saturday, 63.9 million litres of gasoline was consumed in the country but it dropped by 10.6 million litres on Sunday to 53.3 million litres simultaneous with the enforcement of the targeted-subsidy law,” the website reported the state National Iranian Refining and Distribution Co. as saying.