BP closes petrol front yards in the UK due to driver shortages

British oil company BP said it has temporarily closed some petrol outlets in Britain after its ability to transport fuel from refineries was hit by a huge shortage of truck drivers in the industry.

« We are experiencing some fuel supply issues at some of our UK retail locations and have therefore seen a handful of locations temporarily closed due to a shortage of both unleaded and diesel grades, » BP said in a statement.

BP, which has around 1,200 branded stations across the UK, said it was taking action to address the problem.

« We continue to work with truck suppliers to minimize any disruption in the future and to ensure efficient and effective deliveries to serve our customers, » she said.

BP said it was prioritizing deliveries to motorway service areas, major roads and locations with the greatest demand and was seeking to reduce « out of stock » times.

ExxonMobil subsidiary Esso said a small number of Tesco Alliance’s 200 retail locations in the UK were also affected.

« We are working closely with all parties in our distribution network to improve supplies and reduce any inconvenience to customers, » she said in a statement.

The driver shortage has also caused widespread disruption to Britain’s food sector.

The trucking industry said it needed another 90,000 drivers to meet demand after Britain’s exit from the European Union made it difficult for European workers to drive in Britain and the COVID-19 pandemic prevented new workers from qualifying.