Petrol panic buying 'helps no one'

Fears of disruption to the fuel supply have sparked panic buying

The government has confirmed it will suspend competition law to allow oil firms to target fuel deliveries at petrol stations following recent panic buying.

The situation has seen queues at fuel outlets across Oldham over the weekend, despite local MP Jim McMahon urging drivers against filling up unnecessarily.

The Oldham West and Royton MP, who is also Shadow Transport Secretary, Tweeted: "Panic buying helps no one, it makes a bad situation worse.

"But the government pretending there isn’t a problem, which could get significantly worse, is bizarre."

Government officials said the move would make it easier for companies to share information and prioritise parts of the country most at need.

It follows days of long queues at the pumps, after fears of disruption to the fuel supply sparked the panic buying.

A Government spokesperson said: “There is no shortage of fuel in the UK, and people should continue to buy fuel as normal.

“We recognise the challenges facing industry and have already taken action to increase the supply of HGV drivers, including streamlining the process for new drivers and increasing the number of driving tests.

“We continue to closely monitor labour supply and work with sector leaders to understand how we can best ease particular pinch points.”

Meanwhile, as it is estimated in some reports that between 50 to 90 per cent of petrol stations are without fuel, the British Medical Association says healthcare workers must be given priority access to fuel so they can get to work and reach patients.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chair, said: “Emergency and essential workers rely on fuel both to travel to work and for their work itself – whether this is to get to hospitals, practices and other healthcare settings, or for ambulances to reach people in urgent need of care and GPs to visit very ill patients at home.

“Everyone will have their own reasons for needing to fill up, but as pumps run dry there is a real risk that NHS staff won’t be able to do their jobs, and provide vital services and care to people who urgently need it.

“While the Government has said it is putting plans in place to alleviate the shortage of HGV drivers to transport fuel, the results of this won’t be immediate.

"Healthcare and essential workers must therefore be given priority access to fuel so they can continue their crucial work and guarantee care to patients.”

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