Fuel shortages start to ease off, PRA says

Petrol and diesel shortages have eased in London and southeast England and the situation in the rest of Britain has improved further, according to an industry group representing independent fuel vendors.

The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) said 15 per cent of forecourts in and around the capital were dry, down from 22 per cent on Sunday, but 21 per cent still had only one grade of fuel.

“Whilst there has been a significant reduction in dry sites, these areas are still lagging behind in having both grades of fuel available compared to the rest of the UK,” said Gordon Balmer, the PRA’s executive director.

“Members are reporting they are now receiving deliveries from military drivers using commercial tankers, however further action must be taken to address the needs of disproportionately affected areas.”

Frustrations have boiled over into anger in some places, and violence even broke out between motorists desperate to fill up, including with jerrycans and old water bottles.

Across the rest of the country, 86 per cent of sites reported having both grades of fuel while 3 per cent had only one grade and 11 per cent were dry, the PRA said.

Military personnel in fatigues began delivering fuel on Tuesday to ease an acute trucker shortage that triggered panic buying at the pumps. They were photographed at several fuel depots in southern England driving tankers, some with instructors, and then delivering fuel to a gas station.

Meanwhile, the country has sourced less than 10 percent of the 300 European Union lorry drivers earmarked for immediate short-term visas to help ease the fuel supply crisis, the government confirmed Tuesday, following confusion over the exact number issued.

In a round of broadcast interviews Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisted 127 applications had been received – filling nearly half the total available – and disputed an overnight newspaper claim that it was just 27.

But hours later the government confirmed it had only received 27 names for the visas, and did not respond to questions about Johnson’s assertion that it was nearly five times that number.

“This is a global problem and we have been working closely with industry for months to understand how we can boost recruitment,” a spokesperson said.