Northern Ireland

Fuel promotion causes traffic chaos in Belfast

Traffic chaos on the Falls Road as 'GO' service station cuts its petrol and diesel to 99p. Picture Mal McCann.
Traffic chaos on the Falls Road as 'GO' service station cuts its petrol and diesel to 99p. Picture Mal McCann. Traffic chaos on the Falls Road as 'GO' service station cuts its petrol and diesel to 99p. Picture Mal McCann.

A CHEAP fuel promotion led to traffic jams on busy roads in Belfast yesterday as dozens of motorists queued to take advantage of the offer.

GO reduced the price of unleaded petrol and diesel to 99.9p per litre at 10 of its stations across the north.

Traffic chaos in west Belfast as motorists battle to get cheap petrol
Traffic chaos in west Belfast as motorists battle to get cheap petrol Traffic chaos in west Belfast as motorists battle to get cheap petrol

The two-hour offer, however, caused chaos on Falls Road in the west of the city with ambulances and buses struggling to get through the traffic.

Videos posted on Twitter showed cars queued back as far as Springfield Road - about half a mile from GO's Twin Spires petrol station.

Traffic chaos on the Falls Road as 'GO' service station cuts it's petrol and diesel to 99p. Picture Mal McCann.
Traffic chaos on the Falls Road as 'GO' service station cuts it's petrol and diesel to 99p. Picture Mal McCann. Traffic chaos on the Falls Road as 'GO' service station cuts it's petrol and diesel to 99p. Picture Mal McCann.

There were reports of it being as busy at the York Gate station in north Belfast.

The average price of a litre of fuel in Britain and Northern Ireland is now around £1.20 for petrol and £1.29 for diesel.