Petrol queues reported now on BBC news

Copied from a post on Facebook:-

"After seeing the news last night about fuel shortages, I popped in to Tesco and I spoke to a very nice tanker driver who was rather informative and told me that the boats carrying fuel are arriving daily at Plymouth, the two depots in Plymouth are extremely well stocked and there is no shortage of drivers. His only concern was news articles misleading the public. He finished by explaining that it is only BP who have issues."

Ashcombe

Copied from a post on Facebook:-

"After seeing the news last night about fuel shortages, I popped in to Tesco and I spoke to a very nice tanker driver who was rather informative and told me that the boats carrying fuel are arriving daily at Plymouth, the two depots in Plymouth are extremely well stocked and there is no shortage of drivers. His only concern was news articles misleading the public. He finished by explaining that it is only BP who have issues."

Yep, today’s petrol buying frenzy is entirely the fault of U.K. media.

GrannyGravy13

Ashcombe

Copied from a post on Facebook:-

"After seeing the news last night about fuel shortages, I popped in to Tesco and I spoke to a very nice tanker driver who was rather informative and told me that the boats carrying fuel are arriving daily at Plymouth, the two depots in Plymouth are extremely well stocked and there is no shortage of drivers. His only concern was news articles misleading the public. He finished by explaining that it is only BP who have issues."

Yep, today’s petrol buying frenzy is entirely the fault of U.K. media.

But not the driver shortage

Went out to get shopping and three garages were full of cars and many of them were blocking the roads sitting waiting to enter the garage. Where is this frenzied dash to petrol pumps
coming from one word about panic and it seems many do.
If I run out then I shall bloody well walk the same goes for the food shortage I have enough tins of soup, tomatoes, beans and
everything else and will not buy before February so glad I stocked up and if I can't get things then that is that fed up listening to the doom and gloom too depressing.

Mine's in for repair and I can't remember how much fuel is in it or if there's enough to get home again.

growstuff

JaneJudge

Do you need a special licence to drive a white van? I'm sure my driving licence says I can drive up so many tons

No, you don't - not in the UK, at least. I've driven one a few times when I've done my own removals.

actually the rules have changed. Those of us who passed our driving test many years ago are also permitted to drive vans up to a certain size and tonnage, but younger people cannot, thus my SiL could only hire a van of a certain size when they moved home, but DH could hire a bigger one. I will look it up.

Whitewavemark2

GrannyGravy13

Ashcombe

Copied from a post on Facebook:-

"After seeing the news last night about fuel shortages, I popped in to Tesco and I spoke to a very nice tanker driver who was rather informative and told me that the boats carrying fuel are arriving daily at Plymouth, the two depots in Plymouth are extremely well stocked and there is no shortage of drivers. His only concern was news articles misleading the public. He finished by explaining that it is only BP who have issues."

Yep, today’s petrol buying frenzy is entirely the fault of U.K. media.

But not the driver shortage

The U.K. is undeniably suffering from a shortage of 100,000 truck drivers – but it is not alone.
The Continent is also experiencing an estimated shortfall of 400,000 people qualified to get behind the wheel, according to logistics analysts Transport Intelligence
In some parts of the world, a quarter of driving jobs remain unfilled, according to the International Road Transport Union.
Here is how some countries are trying to fix the problem

Holland

Long-running shortages that predate the pandemic have prompted several transport companies to recruit and train asylum seekers. Schemes can include language classes and help getting a driving license. It has attracted refugees from Syria, Eritrea and Iran.

Germany

The industry has adopted the same approach as Holland of targeting refugees, even making it possible to pass a driving test in Arabic since 2016

It is also trying to attract more women. For example, a German company in Europe’s International Road Transport Union recently employed a female ambassador to help improve its outreach.

Spain

Last December the country reduced the minimum age for driving commercial heavy goods vehicles to 18, hoping to target the high number of unemployed young people in the country

“ The shortage of young professional drivers in our country is acute, while the youth unemployment rate exceeds 40 per cent,” said Ramón Valdivia, the general director of the country’s road transport association

Poland

The country has one of Europe’s biggest road haulage sectors, but is short an estimated 100,000 drivers due to the job being seen as unattractive, prompting industry figures to call for urgent changes to boost its appeal

“ It’s essential that improvements are made to guarantee better working conditions to encourage more women and young people into the profession,” said Jan Buczek, president of the Association of International Road Hauliers in Poland

Looks like we are in good (?) company.

If our inept government had not said "don't panic" no-one would have panicked.

MayBeMaw

Whitewavemark2

GrannyGravy13

Ashcombe

Copied from a post on Facebook:-

"After seeing the news last night about fuel shortages, I popped in to Tesco and I spoke to a very nice tanker driver who was rather informative and told me that the boats carrying fuel are arriving daily at Plymouth, the two depots in Plymouth are extremely well stocked and there is no shortage of drivers. His only concern was news articles misleading the public. He finished by explaining that it is only BP who have issues."

Yep, today’s petrol buying frenzy is entirely the fault of U.K. media.

But not the driver shortage

The U.K. is undeniably suffering from a shortage of 100,000 truck drivers – but it is not alone.
The Continent is also experiencing an estimated shortfall of 400,000 people qualified to get behind the wheel, according to logistics analysts Transport Intelligence
In some parts of the world, a quarter of driving jobs remain unfilled, according to the International Road Transport Union.
Here is how some countries are trying to fix the problem

Holland

Long-running shortages that predate the pandemic have prompted several transport companies to recruit and train asylum seekers. Schemes can include language classes and help getting a driving license. It has attracted refugees from Syria, Eritrea and Iran.

Germany

The industry has adopted the same approach as Holland of targeting refugees, even making it possible to pass a driving test in Arabic since 2016

It is also trying to attract more women. For example, a German company in Europe’s International Road Transport Union recently employed a female ambassador to help improve its outreach.

Spain

Last December the country reduced the minimum age for driving commercial heavy goods vehicles to 18, hoping to target the high number of unemployed young people in the country

“ The shortage of young professional drivers in our country is acute, while the youth unemployment rate exceeds 40 per cent,” said Ramón Valdivia, the general director of the country’s road transport association

Poland

The country has one of Europe’s biggest road haulage sectors, but is short an estimated 100,000 drivers due to the job being seen as unattractive, prompting industry figures to call for urgent changes to boost its appeal

“ It’s essential that improvements are made to guarantee better working conditions to encourage more women and young people into the profession,” said Jan Buczek, president of the Association of International Road Hauliers in Poland

Looks like we are in good (?) company.

And yet all these countries manage to keep the forecourts supplied with fuel and the shops full of food.

What could the difference be...?

MayBeMaw Did you forget to include what the UK is doing to try and recruit more drivers?

I am driving a new car, only done 325 miles so far and I don’t really know the fuel consumption I will get for my journeys so I filled up yesterday morning ( before I was aware of any possible shortages) when it was 1/4 full. I shall try to do the same for a while until I get a feel for petrol usage. I do have a computer which tells me when to fill up but I’m not sure I trust it yet!

I cannot walk to my local shops or walk to a bus stop due to my arthritis and do rely on my car but I will keep an eye on things as I guess I could cut down on some social outings - very reluctantly!

1 We need more thousands HGV drivers.

2 So many students have been accepted at universities this year that many thousands are left without accommodation.

is it just me who thinks that there is some intellectual snobbery about careers in this country?

Perhaps the UK is not alone in its intellectual snobbery, MayBeMore?

No petrol or diesel pumps open at our local Tesco Express. However, not far away at Esso no problems apparently. This is in South West London.

Panic buying is making the problem much worse and the media have encouraged it as they are with supposed shortages at Christmas.

The media definitely stoke the flames which encourages panic buying. No doubt about that.

No ques next week though!

The media have a lot to answer for in feeding the public's fears.

There are queues in our town, and presumably replicated up and down the country, reminiscent of those in (?)2000.

There is NO fuel shortage, and this whole farce started when BP temporarily closed a small number of forecourts.

Along comes the media to turn that into "fuel shortages".

To nip this nonsense in the bud, the petrol stations should make it a minimum £25 spend on fuel, per visit.

This would stop the panicking fools from constantly topping up their almost-full tanks, and ensure that those who actually need fuel, can get it.

Brilliant, simple idea HurdyGurdy ! I posted up thread about 2000 and the constant topping up causing a bad situation to be worse, but hadn't thought of your effective remedy.

Rosie51

Brilliant, simple idea HurdyGurdy ! I posted up thread about 2000 and the constant topping up causing a bad situation to be worse, but hadn't thought of your effective remedy.

Seems like a good idea, but people have topped up with a tiny amount of fuel before they go to pay for it. So how could they be stopped?

I recall this being exactly what happened last time we had a real petrol shortage, when the tanker drivers were on strike.

Grandson can walk to school - but not sure if grand-daughter will be able to get to hers next few weeks, across town.

This is just un be lie va ble - Tabloids begging for immigrants to return
fb.watch/8e0ZQ5JDyG/

un be lie va ble

What does that mean?

Just read on FB one of my friends has traipsed round 3 or 4 petrol stations to find one without a queue. She isn't going away. She seldom uses her car. But she felt she had to join in. She fails to see it's people like her that cause problems.

We needed petrol and managed to get some this morning. Only car there. But this is quite a rural area so we tend to avoid panic buyers.

MaizieD

Rosie51

Brilliant, simple idea HurdyGurdy ! I posted up thread about 2000 and the constant topping up causing a bad situation to be worse, but hadn't thought of your effective remedy.

Seems like a good idea, but people have topped up with a tiny amount of fuel before they go to pay for it. So how could they be stopped?

I recall this being exactly what happened last time we had a real petrol shortage, when the tanker drivers were on strike.

I suppose it might need emergency legislation? Or else prominent notices saying "minimum transaction £25" and making it clear that's what you will be charged. I seem to recall notices on fuel pumps in the past that said 'minimum delivery...' I can't recall what the figure was but I'm assuming a petrol can full?? (such as one would purchase if you'd run out of fuel and walked to the garage for an emergency supply) Isn't it a criminal offence to leave a petrol station without paying for your fuel in which case when you either paid at the pump or in the kiosk you'd be charged that £25? I'm sure if there was a will, there'd be a way