Fuel shortage hits petrol stations as government relaxes competition laws
You’ve probably noticed you’re not the only one at the petrol station when you’ve gone to fill up the tank in the last week…
After news broke that a handful of BP and Tesco petrol stations had closed due to fuel deliveries not being made, a crisis started to emerge.
The root of the problem is the shortage of HGV drivers, which you’ll be all too familiar with. With the UK now short of around 100,000 drivers, retail supply chains have been severely impacted, resulting in empty shelves and forecourts.
How did we get here?
It’s a complex mix of the impact of the pandemic and immigration rules meaning that the EU-based drivers that the UK’s haulage infrastructure relies on are no longer working in the UK.
The fact that the average age of HGV drivers is 55, and there's a lack of younger drivers lined up to replace those retiring has caused a shortage that the industry is struggling to cope with.
In response, the government has announced changes and relaxations to the HGV driver test to free up capacity for a further 50,000 tests per year.
But because the supply chain has been so severely affected, it has now hit fuel supplies. While there isn’t a global shortage of fuel, getting the supplies to the forecourt has is proving increasingly difficult.
What’s the plan?
Due to the impact of the shortage, with 5,500 independent fuel outlets running out of fuel and 2,500 “running out soon”, the government has been forced into action.
The impact of panic buying has resulted in the government suspending competition law to allow oil firms to target fuel deliveries at petrol stations. This is in a bid to make it easier for firms to share information and prioritise areas of the country that are in the shortest supply.
Additionally, temporary visas are being offered for a 3-month period until Christmas Eve to 5,000 foreign fuel tanker and food truck drivers, as well as 5,500 poultry workers as it aims to limit disruption in the lead up to Christmas.
The government is also planning to send one million letters to drivers who hold an HGV licence but are not currently working in the haulage industry to encourage them to return, as well as training 4,000 people to become lorry drivers.
In a joint statement from the UK’s leading fuel companies, including Shell, Greenergy, and ExxonMobil, the industry has reiterated that fuel supply issues were being caused by a “temporary spike in consumer demand” rather than a national shortage of fuel.
Some petrol stations at motorway service stations have announced that they are temporarily only available for HGV and fleet refuelling, stressing the importance of route planning for travellers and commuters.
How is the driver shortage and subsequent fuel shortage affecting you and your fleet? Let us know at [email protected].
