Monday, September 27, 2021
Panic buying gasoline and diesel
The British are running out of gas stations
Dozens of petrol stations in the UK are forced to close because they can no longer be supplied with petrol and diesel. Long lines form in front of the remaining gas pumps. The demand for the fuels has increased by up to 500 percent. One reason is Brexit.
Panic buying over feared gasoline and diesel bottlenecks has put gas stations in the UK under severe pressure. According to the Petrol Retailers Association, more than half of its members are out of fuel. The demand is up to 500 percent higher, said association boss Brian Madderson the broadcaster BBC Radio 4. It hits mainly petrol stations that are not on highways. “Between 50 and 90 percent of their pumps are dry, and the ones that aren’t empty are partially dry and will dry up soon.”
Because the energy companies gave preferential treatment to gas stations on highways, long lines and traffic jams formed there, Madderson said. Crowds of motorists would drive to the most important connections in order to find a gas station. Madderson said government policies to issue work visas to up to 5,000 foreign truck drivers fell short. “We may see the benefits later in the fall when the drivers are here and start working, but in the very short term this panic buying has caused really serious problems.”
Most recently, energy companies had closed dozen of gas stations because they could no longer supply them with gasoline and diesel. This led to panic buying and long lines across the country. According to estimates by the Road Haulage Association, up to 100,000 truck drivers are missing.
One reason is Brexit: Since then, stricter entry rules have been preventing the influx of skilled workers. As a result, there were, among other things, gaps in supermarket shelves. Madderson stressed that there was enough fuel in the country. However, it is still in the terminals and refineries and therefore out of the reach of petrol stations and drivers.