Thousands of British petrol stations ran out of fuel on Sunday amid a supply disruption due to a lack of truckers, an industry group reported.
The Fuel Merchants Association, which represents almost 5,500 independent establishments, pointed out that around two-thirds of its members reported having run out of gasoline and the other gas stations “have very little fuel left and are about to run out.”
Association president Brian Madderson said the shortage is a result of “panic buying, plain and simple.”
“There is a lot of fuel in this country, but it is not where it should be,” he told the BBC. “It continues in the terminals and in the refineries.”
Lines of vehicles formed at many gas stations over the weekend, and the frustrations were evident after some drivers waited for hours. Police had to go to a London station on Sunday after a brawl broke out. A man was arrested on suspicion of assault, police reported.
The transport industry claims tens of thousands of truckers are needed in the UK, in part due to a combination of factors, including the coronavirus pandemic, the aging workforce and the exodus of foreign employees following the departure of Gran. Britain from the European Union last year.
Several countries, including the United States and Germany, also suffer from a truck driver shortage. The problem has been particularly visible in Britain, where it has contributed to empty shelves in supermarkets and a lack of fuel at petrol stations.
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