Oil price rises prompt speed limit curb

"Government puts the brakes on Spain," complains ABC. On 25 February, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero’s government announced that it will cut the speed limit on Spanish motorways from 120kph to 110kph on 7 March. The measure, which is expected to reduce petrol consumption by 15%, has been undertaken in response to oil-price rises prompted by the Arab revolutions. The conservative daily criticises what it sees as the government’s "odd ideas on energy," and notes that the "improvised" initiative will require the replacement of large numbers of roadsigns. ABC also argues that Spain’s energy dependence is "a long-standing phenomenon" which "will not be successfully addressed by ad-hoc policy changes."