Queues at empty petrol stations and gondolas, UK out-of-stock photos

BP published this afternoon that nearly a third of its UK service stations ran out of the two main types of fuel on Sunday, as panic continued between government calls for drivers to behave normally, insisting on the fact that there was no fundamental shortage.

Outside gas stations, there were long lines of cars for the third day in a row, as motorists waited – some for hours – to refuel after oil companies reported the lack of drivers was causing problems. transport from refineries.

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

“Given the intense demand observed over the past two days, we estimate that around 30% of the sites in this network currently do not have any of the main qualities of fuel,” said BP, which operates 1,200 refueling points. UK. A declaration. “We are working to restock as quickly as possible.”

The fuel panic comes as the UK faces several crises: a Rising international gas prices that are forcing energy companies to shut down, a related shortage of carbon dioxide that threatens to affect meat production and a shortage of truck drivers that is wreaking havoc among retailers and leaving some shelves empty.

The British Minister for Transport, Grant Shapps, He accused a union which represents carriers on Sunday of having “triggered” the fuel shortage in the United Kingdom, following the government’s decision to grant 5,000 visas to foreign drivers to alleviate the crisis.

“One of the organizations representing the carriers (truck drivers) provided an irresponsible report (concerning a possible shortage), which helped trigger the crisis,” the minister said on Sunday before Sky News cameras, denouncing a “premeditated situation” through a “useless and counterproductive” gesture.

In recent days, many gas stations have closed and endless lines are forming in front of others.

Many Britons are ignoring government calls to remain calm in the face of fuel shortages, which are also affecting the agri-food sector, and have been caused by the shortage of some 100,000 truckers due to Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic.

For months, many sectors have warned of this situation, but the Minister of Transport has assigned the responsibility to an organization representing truckers.

“About ten days ago there was a meeting where one of the associations (unions) of carriers decided to release the details to the media,” he said, “and this has caused great concern, because the people with whom he naturally reacts this kind of thing, ”he added.

The minister did not specifically name the union, but a government source told the Mail on Sunday that the Road Transport Association is “fully responsible for this current panic and chaos”.

Shapps also accused the associations of the sector of “wanting at all costs” to hire “more European drivers, which reduces the wages of the British”.

The day before, the government was forced to grant up to 10,500 temporary work visas, of which 5,000 were reserved for truckers – an unexpected turn in labor immigration policy after Brexit, as Prime Minister Boris’s government Johnson continues to insist that the UK is no longer dependent on foreign labor.

The minister said the shortage of truckers is due to COVID-19 disrupting the qualification process, preventing more workers from entering the market. Others blamed Brexit and poor working conditions, which prompted foreign drivers to leave.