Should fuel sales be limited in a panic?

[Jet Cash]

As some of you may know, we have a petrol and diesel crisis in the UK. There doesn't seem to be a shortage at the refineries, but there is a shortage of tanker drivers, and this is messing up deliveries. As a result of BBC and government statements that drivers shouldn't panic, everybody is panicking. This has led to garages adding a few pence or more to the price of a litre of fuel, and long queues to buy fuel. Most garages have put a £30 limit on purchases. This policy seems to be adding to the length of queues, and in some cases it can take over two hours to get to a pump. Motorists are sitting in the queues with their engines running, and this can't be helping to improve the situation. This morning I went to a supermarket at 7am and I was able to get onto a pump with no queue, I just had to wait for the guy using the pump to finish his purchase. I started to fill up, and the pump cut out at £30, as this is the limit imposed by the supermarket. Last time I filled up, I put £101 of diesel into the tank, and this can keep me going for two weeks or more if I am not going on long journeys. I went straight to another supermarket to buy more, but the queue was too long for me, and I will try again tomorrow. If I had been able to fill up, I would probably havce stayed away for a week or two.

I used a pay at kiosk pump, but I noticed that there were queues for the pay at pump stations, and some drivers were taking their £30, and then rejoining the queue to get another £30 worth. This can't be helping the situation. One woman put £6 into her car, and again this can't be productive. My suggestion is that they introduce a minimu purchase of £30 (motorcycle could be exempt), and don't have a maximum. There is already a limit of one can in some garages, but this doesn't seem to be being enforced. There are also cases of people filling plastic water bottles with petrol - this is not only extremely dangerous, but illegal in the UK.

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[newIndia]

Not sure how to control fuel sales or whether it is possible at all. But, I am pretty sure, usage of EV needs to be increased way more. Fuel dependency must be reduced as much as possible.

[Cnut237]

There are also cases of people filling plastic water bottles with petrol - this is not only extremely dangerous, but illegal in the UK.

It is getting a bit absurd. Some behaviour is certainly dangerous.

There doesn't seem to be a shortage at the refineries, but there is a shortage of tanker drivers, and this is messing up deliveries. As a result of BBC and government statements that drivers shouldn't panic, everybody is panicking.

Media sensationalism can always be relied upon to exacerbate a problem. And I know that there are staffing problems endemic to the industry across Europe, but the UK has been hit much harder than anyone else. Don't you think that Brexit has contributed? I know you voted to leave, but the UK's reliance on migrant labour in key industries was one of the reasons I voted to remain.

[TopTort777]

I am amazed that this fuel sales limitation happened so instant. Could this situation be foreseen?

Do you really believe in "shortage of tanker drivers" ? How the fuel was delivered before, if this shortage happened so suddenly? Tanker drivers suddenly disappear? I am sure COVID was involved in this situation. I cant see how the limit of £30 can help? Drivers will get back to queues and fill again.

What is going to be next? Food shortage due to issues with delivery? Is this a strategy to limit peoples movement to prevent virus spread?

[Cnut237]

I am amazed that this fuel sales limitation happened so instant. Could this situation be foreseen?

Yes. 48.1% of voters foresaw it on 23 June 2016. Unfortunately, we lost the vote to the people who had "other" concerns.

a strategy to limit peoples movement

Yes, but not in the way that you mean.

[suchmoon]

Just let the price go up until there is no shortage. There's going to be brutal domino effect on everything that needs transportation (also known as simply "everything") but hey, at least you can prevent immigrants from taking jobs that no one else wants.

[eddie13]

The gas stations should be able to price as they want and limit if they want or not to whatever they want..
The government should keep their noses completely out of it..

Same with laws about “approved containers”..

[Cnut237]

at least you can prevent immigrants from taking jobs that no one else wants.

That was their aim, yes. Perhaps certain people will now start to realise that migrants to the UK, far from being freeloaders bleeding the country dry, were actually overwhelmingly of working age, working long hours in low paying jobs, and providing vital support. But of course, they won't realise that, they'll find someone else to blame it on... and for all the talk of emergency temporary visas etc., I couldn't see many Polish or Romanian drivers wanting to come back to a country where they were routinely demonised before being kicked out.

One plus side is that the dearth of available workers is forcing companies to push up wages for what are low-paying jobs with often brutal conditions.

[OgNasty]

Asking this question makes me very happy that I have a home that is 100% gas free and if Tesla ever gets their act together and builds my cybertruck there will be 0 gas usage in my life (even grid energy is nuclear here). The idea that someone could make a decision to keep me from driving a vehicle or heating my home makes me extremely happy to have a solar powered and battery backed up residence.

[LTU_btc]

Enjoy your Brexit. There is no shortage of fuel, but shortage of drivers. Immigrants took jobs that locals don't want to take. And thanks to Brexit, immigrants, including truck drivers can't arrive to UK and work there.
What is an solution for this crisis, I don't know. Limit on purchases is bad, but an option. Or as @suchmoon said, let the price to go up. Maybe a bit brutal, but there is there is not many alternative options.

There are also cases of people filling plastic water bottles with petrol - this is not only extremely dangerous, but illegal in the UK.

It is getting a bit absurd. Some behaviour is certainly dangerous.

Yeah, absurd, but I don't see nothing dangerous in such behaviour.