Panic buying leads to shortages at the pumps
Drivers asked to‘buy fuel as normal’after rush for petrol
Petrol stations across Renfrewshire were running on empty this weekend as panic buying saw some drivers forced to try SIX different garages to fill up their cars.
Panicked motorists queued up at a number of fuel stations throughout the area amid fears of a shortage.
The hysteria resulted in many outlets in the local authority running out, including in Erskine and Renfrew, which were forced to close yesterday.
Others – including Asda in Linwood – imposed a £30 limit for motorists in a bid to make the supplies last.
Buddies took to social media to share their outrage at the situation, with many comparing it to the frenzy surrounding food supplies and toilet roll at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020.
One Paisley woman claimed she was forced to try six different fuelling stations before she could fill up her car.
She said: “I’m nine months pregnant and only had a quarter of a tank of diesel on Saturday (my usual filling up day) and had to try six garages before getting some.
“It’s like the whole food and toilet roll situation again like the start of covid and lockdown!
“Did people not realise that we didn’t run out of stuff and things still got delivered?”
Another added: “No need to panic buy at all.”
Deputy First Minister John Swinney confirmed yesterday that Scotland has an adequate petrol supply to meet normal purchasing patterns, though a spike in demand could lead to pumps running out quickly.
He said the Scottish Government had spoken to fuel suppliers about distribution problems in recent days.
The UK Government which has also urged travellers to “buy fuel as normal” as there is a “very resilient and robust supply chain” has suspended competition laws to allow suppliers to target petrol stations which are running low.
As well as the shortage of HGV drivers, the industry has blamed “panic buying” from consumers for queues at forecourts around the UK.
Mr Swinney said: “There is an adequate supply of fuel to meet normal demand, but it does hinge on being able to distribute that fuel to all locations.
“From my experience of dealing with difficulties about fuel supply in the past, when we had industrial action amongst tanker drivers, supply can run out very quickly because the petrol stations are being replenished with supply on a really very regular basis.”
He continued: “In a normal purchasing pattern then, I’m confident there is a distribution arrangement in place that can adequately supply those petrol stations.
“But obviously, if there is an increased demand for fuel, then that will put pressure on the distribution companies in being able to meet that demand in all locations around the country.”