‘Bottled-up’ frustration builds as Britain reels from fuel crisis
PLEAS FROM GOVERNMENT TO AVOID PANIC BUYING FALL ON DEAF EARS
Britain’s transport minister pleaded with motorists yesterday to refrain from filling up old water bottles with fuel at gas stations after panic buying left pumps dry across major cities and prompted the government to put the army on standby.
Motorists hunted for hours or sat snarled in queues to fill their tanks, though dozens of forecourts were closed with signs saying they had no petrol or diesel, Reuters reporters said.
A post-Brexit shortage of truck drivers, exacerbated by a halt to truck-driving-licence testing during Covid-19 lockdowns and people leaving the haulage industry, has sown chaos through supply chains, raising the spectre of shortages and price rises in the run up to Christmas.
Britain put a limited number of military tanker drivers on a state of readiness to be deployed to deliver fuel if necessary.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said there were some hints the situation was easing as reserves at some gas stations had been replenished.
There have also been growing calls for medics, healthcare staff and other essential workers to be given priority to fill their cars to keep hospitals and social care services running.
Tentative signs
“We’re starting to see very tentative signs of stabilisation which won’t yet be reflected in the queues,” he told reporters.
“The sooner we all return to our normal buying habits, the quicker this gets resolved - and I do appeal to the public to do that. In particular, no more water bottles at petrol stations: its dangerous and not helpful.” Fights broke out at some fuel stations and pictures on social media showed some people filling up old water bottles with fuel. There have also been growing calls for medics, healthcare staff and other essential workers to be given priority to fill their cars to keep hospitals and social care services running.
An air of chaos has gripped the world’s fifth largest economy in recent weeks as the shortage of truckers strained supply chains and a spike in European wholesale natural gas prices tipped energy companies into bankruptcy.
Retailers, truck drivers and logistics firms have warned that prices for everything from energy to Christmas gifts will rise.
“I can’t believe it — it’s crazy,” said David Scade, 33, a delivery driver who drove for hours searching for fuel in London.
The demand for fuel has meant that 50 per cent to 90 per cent of pumps were dry in some areas of Britain, according the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), which represents independent fuel retailers who account for 65 per cent of all the 8,380 UK forecourts.