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 and gas giant BP said on Thursday, 23 September, that a “small number” of fuel stations in the UK were “temporarily closed due to a shortage of unleaded fuel and diesel”. In a statement, the group admitted it was “experiencing problems with the petrol supply at some UK sales sites” due to “delivery delays due to a shortage of truck drivers across the UK”. 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.

BP says it is working to resolve these difficulties and give “priority to service stations on highways, major highways and the most sought-after locations”. 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.