Council urges drivers to avoid ‘needless panic buying’

Bridgend County Borough Council is urging drivers to remain calm and to avoid panic buying fuel following latest assurances from the Government and organisations such as the Petrol Retailers Association.

Panic buying over the weekend saw a number of petrol stations throughout the UK having to close as pumps ran dry.

However, the Government has given assurances that fuel is not in short supply in the UK, and that the current problem has been caused solely by the ‘needless’ panic buying.

Moves are now underway to restock petrol stations as quickly as possible.

Council Leader Huw David said: “The panic-buying appears to have occurred after it was widely reported how a shortage of HGV drivers was affecting supply to a small number of filling stations.

“From this, word spread and made what was just a rumour into a reality as huge queues formed at petrol station forecourts and supplies that would ordinarily have been enough to keep us all going as normal were suddenly and unexpectedly drained.

“This has resulted in a number of issues. For a start, forming long traffic queues which back out onto the public highway has caused huge congestion and has delayed other vital supplies from getting through.

“More worryingly, it has risked delaying emergency service vehicles such as ambulances and fire engines, and poses a number of road safety issues.

“The needless panic buying also risks preventing staff who work at schools or in social care from being able to get to and from work, or to get through to vulnerable people who rely on essential care and support within their own homes.

“Likewise, if teachers cannot get to school, schools may have to close, which then causes issues for parents, carers and guardians who may have to miss attending work in order to look after their children at home, and so on.

“While there is no current risk to the council’s own fleet of vehicles or the waste and recycling vehicles used by Kier, at some point prolonged panic buying would also inevitably have an effect on our ability to provide further services.

“We need to once more come together as a community, and to face this challenge together in a sensible, unified manner.

“With the Government promising that more fuel is on the way, I urge drivers to act responsibly, to think of the needs of the community, and to avoid making this needless situation worse.

“We will be monitoring the situation closely while awaiting further updates, and will be publicising more details as it develops further.”