Yahoo Finance Fuel crisis easing? Not yet, say drivers, with 4am queues and more clashes at pumps
Desperate Londondrivers today poured scorn on Boris Johnson’s claims that the fuel crisis is “improving” as they queued in their cars from 4am.
Long lines built up outside filling stations from the early hours amid another day of chaos across the capital and the South-East. Drivers in Little Venice began queuing for a closed Esso petrol station since 4am, even though the forecourt was not opening until 8.30am because of security concerns.
Some were tucked under blankets to guard against the early morning chill.
Huge rows broke out between drivers, and one car was kicked as motorists tried to cut into the queue.
In Croydon queues stretched for over a mile at 5am. while dozens of stationary cars occupied the inside lane of the A4 at Hammersmith from 5.30am as they waited to reach a BP garage.
One driver from Twickenham told LBC’s Nick Ferrari of his tortuous pre-dawn search for petrol and said: “If anyone thinks this is easing… it’s worse than it was on Sunday.”
Another caller said: “For Boris to say things are getting better, it’s an absolute lie.”
Hundreds took to social media to tell of their nightmare efforts to find petrol or diesel. One driver in Sussex tweeted: “Don’t tell me the situation is getting better. I’m NHS, a mum & on empty. 2 petrol stn in Woodingdean, no fuel since Sunday. I don’t have enough to travel to find fuel. VERY long walk to school for my kids. Shambolic!” But senior government ministers once again attempted to alleviate the crisis with assurances the most acute petrol shortages for more than 20 years were gradually easing.
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng tweeted: “I can confirm the government’s Reserve Tanker Fleet will be on the road this afternoon to boost deliveries of fuel to forecourts across Britain. The trucks are driven by civilians and will provide additional logistical capacity to the fuel industry.
We are now seeing signs that the situation at the pumps has begun to improve with more stations getting more fuel.
The sooner we can all return to our normal buying habits, the sooner the situation will return to normal (2/2) https://t.co/KJaFgXRsnu— Kwasi Kwarteng (@KwasiKwarteng) September 29, 2021
“We are now seeing signs that the situation at the pumps has begun to improve with more stations getting more fuel. The sooner we can all return to our normal buying habits, the sooner the situation will return to normal.”
Earlier, he said: “The situation clearly is stabilising, if we look at the inflows, the deliveries of petrol, they were matched yesterday by the sales, so that means the situation is stabilising. People are behaving quite responsibly actually. People should buy petrol as normal.
“We have got the army on standby, we have made preventative measures, we have tried to alleviate the HGV driver shortage by waiving visa rules. We are working very closely with industry… and the situation is stabilising.”
London has lost more filling stations than other areas over the past 20 years, with 25 of the capital’s 73 parliamentary constituencies now having two or fewer. James Spencer, managing director at supplier Portland Fuel, said “logically the worst is behind us” as many drivers had already filled up, and the Petrol Retailers Association said a poll of 1,500 sites showed 40 per cent now fully open.
The Government has said it will issue 5,000 short-term visas to foreign HGV drivers and soldiers are expected to be delivering petrol within days. But Huw Merriman, Tory chair of the Commons transport committee, said it was “too early to say” if the crisis was subsiding, and criticised hauliers for failing to deal with the shortage of lorry drivers which has triggered the shortages. But Labour’s David Lammy blamed the Government and Brexit.
Read More
Uber says surging demand in London is behind longer wait times - not petrol shortages
Heathrow’s petrol station manager’s warning about ‘desperate’ drivers
Monster queues at petrol stations as desperate drivers fill jerry cans
