- Title: 'It's crazy': Motorists queue for fuel as Britain puts military on standby
- Date: 28th September 2021
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (SEPTEMBER 28, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF AN EMPTY BRITISH PETROLEUM (BP) STATION TAPE AROUND EMPTY PUMPS AT STATION/ SIGNS READING (English): "Sorry out of use" VARIOUS OF MOTORISTS LOOKING FOR FUEL DRIVING THROUGH AN EMPTY ESSO STATION SIGN READING (English): "Sorry out of use" OVER FUEL PUMP ESSO STATION (SOUNDBITE) (English) 33-YEAR-OLD DELIVERY DRIVER, DAVID SCADE, SAYING: "I started looking last night, I was driving around for two hours - nothing. Came by up all this way, up by Park Royal - nothing. Got a delivery at Park Royal Asda about ten o'clock last night but the queues were crazy." DRIVER'S HAND SEEN IN SIDE MIRROR MOTORISTS DRIVING INTO SHELL STATION VARIOUS OF MOTORISTS FILLING UP THEIR CARS (SOUNDBITE) (English) 33-YEAR-OLD DELIVERY DRIVER, DAVID SCADE, SAYING: "I can't believe it. It's crazy. But it doesn't seem like there is, and they keep saying there is no shortage but I suppose everyone is panicking now." VARIOUS OF MOTORISTS FILLING UP THEIR CARS FUEL WARNING LIGHT ON CAR'S INSTRUMENT PANEL (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNNAMED MOTORIST, SAYING: "It was very hard, early in the morning just got up and tried to go ASDA fuel station, empty, then two others empty. This is the fourth one and I have no fuel and I am nearly going to run out so I don't know how I will make it." PRIVATE AMBULANCE IN QUEUE INTO STATION VEHICLES QUEUING FOR FUEL/ SHELL STATION
- Embargoed: 12th October 2021 09:34
- Keywords: Fuel shortage cars queuing fuel crisis fuel stations motorists panic buying petrol stations trucker shortage
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Europe,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001EWMWLS7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Britain put the army on standby to deliver fuel from Tuesday (September 28) after an acute shortage of truckers triggered panic buying that left fuel pumps dry across the land and raised fears that hospitals would be left without doctors and nurses.
Queues of drivers snaked back from those petrol stations that were still serving in major cities, though dozens of forecourts were closed with signs saying that their petrol and diesel had run dry, Reuters reporters said.
A post-Brexit shortage of lorry drivers, exacerbated by a debilitating halt to truck-driving-licence testing during COVID lockdowns, has sown chaos through British supply chains, raising the spectre of shortages and price rises in the run up to Christmas.
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said a limited number of military tanker drivers had been put on a state of readiness to be deployed to deliver fuel if necessary.
Fights broke out at some petrol stations as drivers jostled for fuel.
Lining up for fuel at a service station in London on Tuesday, delivery driver David Scade said he drove around for two hours the previous night without finding somewhere to fill up.
"I can't believe it. It's crazy," he told Reuters. "They keep saying there is no shortage but I suppose everyone is panicking now."
Government ministers, fuel companies and petrol stations say there are sufficient supplies of fuel but that the lack of truckers combined with panic buying has drained the system.
The demand for fuel has meant that 50% to 90% of pumps were dry in some areas of Britain, according the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), which represents independent fuel retailers who account for 65% of all the 8,380 UK forecourts.
(Production: Ben Makori) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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