I had to drive quite a lot yesterday in different parts of London. Charlton, Greenwich, Welling, Bexleyheath, Dagenham, Canning Town...seen around 10 stations. Only a 1/4 of them had fuel (based on people queuing) 3/4 were closed off. Driving off to Wern Ddu Quarry for hard enduro practice, can only hope there is diesel on motorways...otherwise we are f@ked. I was hoping the panic buyers would fill up in the first 2-3 days and then things would ease off, but it seems not a lot changed since last Friday? I start to believe this is not purely down to media "hype", at the end of the day people won't burn a full tank in couple of days.
More to do with a political decision involving foreign workers in 2016. Building trade is suffering as is the NHS and the fruit and vegetable industry, in fact any industry that involved foreign workers. Can’t wait for it to get better, after it gets worse, obvs.
The government have mentioned things are getting back to normal at the forecourts, well NOT what i'm seeing they're not with only two open for business today & very long queues again.I had to drive down the middle of the highway with my lights & hazards on.....what a crazy situation to be in.
Local to me there is some indication that deliveries are now taking place and thus far drivers seem to be being sensible. Driving back last night I saw four petrol stations, 2 of them were dispensing fuel with no queues at either. As I'm collecting the GF from the airport on Monday and then working some way from home on Tuesday, probably 350 miles in all, I though I'd better add to the just over 1/4 tank remaining. Drove straight in and parked at the pump, £35 spend limit per vehicle, should just about be enough to do that mileage.
People are still panic buying for those conspiracy theorists thinking something sinister going on. Topping up when they don't need to with the fear of running dry. Talk to any of the garages. They'll all say the same, they get their deliveries like normal, but people suck them dry. Near me people even know when the deliveries are coming and wait. Managed to get fuel today for the first time in a week and half other than for my trackday. Surprisingly no queue or a limit of fuel. Even got out the car and said to the person next to me that it seems too good to be true!
Owner of several stations around Cheltenham on news said they are selling a week’s worth in a day. That’s the issue. Not supply. Not drivers. Not workers. Idiot wankers who top up every drive.
Driven around this whole end of Kent and not a single petrol station has any fuel. Fucking ridiculous.
It’s getting close to the point that I’ll only be able to leave the house in a vehicle if I know for certain the station has fuel haha
What @ducv2 says. Did shopping at local Sainsburys 9am, no queues plenty of free pumps. Is this just a London thing?
Kent and London looks to be the worst effected. surprise surprise. Densely populated with dense people.
That headline will never sell papers bladders, a media driven frenzy lapped up by morons. There’d not be enough drivers if demand remained as it has done this last 7 days, but the media are still portraying it as a shortage of drivers within the fuel distribution network. Which only affected BP but you can’t make a decent story from that you need to spin it in with the shortage of drivers across the haulage industry. Hey presto carnage at fuel pumps.
To be honest I have a feeling the media are feeling a change of government is due and are turning against Bozza and his Merry band. We’ll start to see the press present the opposition as a viable alternative and we’ll see a return of Labour to power.
Without going back through this thread, has it been mentioned that DVLA are sitting on 50 000+ HGV licence applications?
Nah. Drained in most of Derby. Went to pick up a rear shock and happened to stumble on an Asda petrol station in some town I can't even remember the name of and was plenty left. Luck of the draw at the minute it seems. I think it's slowly getting better though.
