U.K. suspends competition laws to tackle fuel crisis - National Post

BP said nearly a third of its British petrol stations had run out of the two main grades of fuel on Sunday as panic buying forced the government to suspend competition laws and allow firms to work together to ease shortages

Author of the article:

Reuters

William James

Publishing date:

Sep 26, 2021  •  10 hours ago  •  1 minute read  •  49 Comments

The UK government is poised to temporarily ease visa rules to attract more foreign taxi drivers, reports said Saturday, as it grapples with a growing shortage that has now hit fuel supplies. Photo by LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP /Getty

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Britain suspended competition laws on Sunday to allow competing fuel suppliers to share information and coordinate their response to petrol shortages.

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“While there has always been and continues to be plenty of fuel at refineries and terminals, we are aware that there have been some issues with supply chains,” business minister Kwasi Kwarteng said following a meeting with industry representatives.

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“This is why we will enact the Downstream Oil Protocol to ensure industry can share vital information and work together more effectively to ensure disruption is minimized.”

BP said nearly a third of its British petrol stations had run out of the two main grades of fuel on Sunday as panic buying forced the government to suspend competition laws and allow firms to work together to ease shortages.

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Lines of vehicles formed at petrol stations for a third day running as motorists waited, some for hours, to fill up with fuel after oil firms reported a lack of drivers was causing transport problems from refineries to forecourts.

An aerial view shows customers queueing in their cars to access an Asda petrol station in east London on Sept. 25. Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP /Getty

Some operators have had to ration supplies and others to close gas stations.

“With the intense demand seen over the past two days, we estimate that around 30% of sites in this network do not currently have either of the main grades of fuel,” BP, which operates 1,200 sites in Britain, said in statement.

“We are working to resupply as rapidly as possible.”

The fuel panic comes as Britain faces several crises: an international gas price surge that is forcing energy firms out of business, a related shortage of carbon dioxide that threatens to derail meat production, and a shortage of truck drivers that is playing havoc with retailers and leaving some shelves bare.

Anglo-Dutch oil group Shell said that it had also seen increased demand for fuel.

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U.K. suspends competition laws to tackle fuel crisis - National Post
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