UK minister says no fuel shortage and urges Britons to behave normally

This article is more than 12 months old

Sep 27, 2021 06:00 am

BRIGHTON: Transport Minister Grant Shapps yesterday called on Britons to behave normally when buying petrol, saying there was no shortage of fuel and the government was stepping in to ease a shortage of drivers delivering it to petrol stations.

In recent days long lines have formed at petrol stations as motorists waited, some for hours, to fill up with fuel after oil companies reported a lack of drivers was causing transport problems from refineries to forecourts.

Some operators have had to ration supplies and others to close gas stations.

"There is plenty of fuel, there is no shortage of the fuel within the country," Mr Shapps told Sky News.

"So the most important thing is actually that people carry on as they normally would and fill up their cars when they normally would, then you won't have queues and you won't have shortages at the pump either."

Mr Shapps said the shortage of drivers was down to Covid-19 disrupting the qualification process for drivers, preventing new labour from entering the market. Others pinned the blame on Brexit and poor working conditions forcing out foreign drivers.