Petrol stations operated by British Petroleum and US rival ExxonMobil have closed their doors in the UK due to fuel shortages amid delivery problems in the country due to a shortage of truck drivers.

Oil giant BP said on Thursday that a “small number” of fuel stations in the UK were “temporarily closed due to shortages of unleaded fuel and diesel”.

Dans un communiqué reçu par l’AFP, le groupe admet « subir des problèmes d’approvisionnement en essence dans certains sites de vente au Royaume-Uni », causés par « des retards de livraison à cause des manques de chauffeurs de camions à travers United kingdom “.

Brexit issues and epidemics

For its part, the American giant “ExxonMobil”, which owns the “Esso” stations, said that a “small number” of 200 stations in the Tesco supermarket were also affected by this problem, according to the Palestinian Authority Agency.

Supply problems are attributed in particular to the pandemic, which has prompted many truck drivers, mostly foreigners, to return to their countries, while new driver training centers have remained closed for months.

At the same time, the arrival of new drivers from the European Union has become complicated by Brexit, with more complex immigration procedures.

“Purchase fuel normally”

BP says it is working on these difficulties and is giving “priority to service stations on highways, major highways and locations with the highest demand”.

To avoid panic buying at gas stations, the British government is trying to reassure itself by ensuring there is “no shortage of fuel in the UK” and inviting people to “buy fuel normally”.

“We are aware of the difficulties facing the (logistics) sector and have taken measures to increase the availability of truck drivers, by facilitating procedures for new drivers and increasing the number of driver’s license tests,” a government spokesperson explains.