Petrol stations across Wiltshire are seeing an increase in motorists visiting the pumps amid fears they could run out of fuel in the coming days and weeks.
There was ‘absolute chaos’ at service stations across the county, but significant and at times dangerous queues formed outside two Asda stores in Swindon this morning (24 September).
Panic buying set in when BP and Esso announced it has closed a “handful” of forecourts due to a lock of available fuel yesterday, Thursday 23 September.
For first light this morning, forecourts across Wiltshire were packed full of vehicles. At the West Swindon District Centre, motorists queued on a blind where other motorists were forced to overtake into the path of oncoming traffic.
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“It was certainly dangerous with cars coming the other direction at speed, some pulling across to get into the forecourt and causing a jam”, former Link magazine editor Roger Ogle told Wiltshire 999s.
The firm’s Head of UK Retail, Hanna Hofer told the government about the “urgency of the situation”, describing it as “bad, very bad”. This sparked people to rush to the pumps and fill up.
Though transport secretary Grant Shapps told Sky News: “The advice would be to carry on as normal, and that is what BP is saying as well”, as he tried to stop the panic.
There’s no shortage of fuel in the UK. The issues are being caused by the lack of drivers who are able to transport the fuel from distribution terminals to the service stations.
Speaking on BBC Newsnight, Road Haulage Association representative Rod McKenzie said the UK has a “shortage of 100,000” lorry drivers.
He added: “I don’t think we are talking about absolutely no fuel or food or anything like that, people shouldn’t panic buy food or fuel or anything else, that’s not what this is about.
“This is about stock outs, it’s about shortages, it’s about a normal supply chain being disrupted.”
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