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Almost a third of British Petroleum (BP) stations in the UK are almost out of fuel as the oil company sees increased demand.
BP told The Hill in a statement that supply chain delays, triggered by a shortage of qualified drivers, are causing the company to experience “supply issues” at some of its UK facilities.
The company said it had seen “intense demand” over the past two days, leading to fuel shortages at around 30% of its stations in the UK.
The majority of the 1,200 sites supplied by BP in the UK, however, are still provisioned and open, according to the company.
“With the intense demand observed over the past two days, we estimate that approximately 30% of sites in this network currently lack any of the major grades of fuel,” BP said in a statement.
“We are working to restock as quickly as possible,” the company added.
Vehicles lined up at gas stations for a third day on Sunday as people waited, sometimes for hours, to refuel, according to Reuters.
The surge in demand for fuel comes as Britain is in the midst of a number of crises, the newswire noted: an international spike in gas prices that is forcing energy companies to shut down, a related lack of carbon dioxide which poses a threat to meat production; and a shortage of truck drivers which causes difficulties for retailers and leaves some shelves empty.
BP said facilities that have multiple downgrades may have closed to purchase fuel. However, he did not have an estimate of how many people might have closed for purchases.
The company said it continues to work with its carrier supplier, Hoyer, to “optimize fuel delivery and minimize the level of disruption, by supplying key sites and restocking as quickly as possible.”
“The affected sites change as we continue with deliveries as usual. We apologize for the inconvenience caused, ”the company added.
Transport Minister Grant Shapps told Sky News the shortages were triggered by panic buying, adding that the circumstances would eventually dissipate as fuel could be provided.
“There is a lot of fuel, there is no shortage of fuel in the country,” Shapps told Sky News
“So the most important thing is actually that if people go on as they normally would and fill their cars up as they normally would, then you won’t have any queues and you won’t have either. shortage at the pump, “he added.
He said the problem was due to COVID-19 affecting the qualification process, which prevented new workers from entering the market.
The government on Sunday launched a plan to grant temporary visas to 5,000 truck drivers, according to Reuters.
Shell, the Anglo-Dutch oil company, said it has also seen increased demand at its service stations in the UK since Friday, which has caused a shortage of certain types of fuel.
“We replenish them quickly, usually within 24 hours,” the company told Reuters in a statement.
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