DRIVERS URGED TO ‘ACT RESPONSIBLY’
Wales’ finance minister has insisted there is “plenty of fuel” and urged people not to panic buy to ensure key workers can continue in their critical roles.
Rebecca Evans denied there is a fuel shortage during a ministerial briefing yesterday and asked people to behave “responsibly” while the UK governments work to ease logistical issues around getting petrol to the pumps.
The minister was repeating reassurances made by fuel industry bosses on Monday, who said the crisis could abate in a few days as demand returns to normal levels.
The Army is on stand-by to drive petrol tankers as queues of motorists formed outside forecourts for the fifth day in a row and filling stations up and down the country continue to run dry.
Ms Evans said: “I understand people’s anxiety having seen the situation in terms of the queues at the petrol stations that have run out of petrol but the important thing to recognise here is that there is plenty of fuel here.
“There’s plenty of fuel in the refineries, and there’s plenty in storage as well.
“What we do have is a problem in terms of the logistics and there’s work ongoing to solve that.”
“I know it can be stressful and worrying for people but we have to remember that there are people who work in the critical sectors who do need that petrol,” she added.
“We do have a national fuel plan which could prioritise certain people or groups for access to fuel but we haven’t invoked that because we understand the system will get itself back into kilter very shortly.”
The minister said the Welsh Government was in daily discussions with the UK Government about the situation.
“We are monitoring the situation very closely, and working closely and daily with the UK Government to discuss their longer term plans in terms of recruitment into the sector and other issues which are structural,” she said.