Petrol shortage: Sheffield stations still empty this morning but this is when fuel deliveries are expected

Forecourts were crammed on Friday and over the weekend after a scare over the supply chain for BP and Tesco garages led to motorists filling their cars up in a panic that supplies would run out.

Despite assurances from petrol companies and the Government that there “is no fuel shortage”, stations have been left empty of both petrol and diesel.

Which Sheffield stations have fuel today?

Today, many in Sheffield are still dry. Barriers have been temporarily put up at some franchises to stop customers pulling onto the forecourt.

Out of 21 petrol stations contacted by the Star as of time of writing this morning (September 27), eight said they had no fuel for sale and only one could say they had fuel on sale – Texaco, on East Bank Road.

Which stations are closed?

Texaco on Savile Street, Penistone Road, Burncross Road and Bradway Road were all out of fuel this morning, along with Tesco on Abbeydale Road, White Lane service station on White Lane, Sainsbury’s on Archer Road and Shell on Carlisle Street.

Sainsbury’s petrol station on Archer Road claimed they were expecting a delivery “this afternoon”.

Queues at stations do not seem to be as much of an issue this morning – but this is in part due to word spreading over which stations do not have fuel.

Why is there a fuel shortage?

Since Friday, the Government has tried to assuage fears that there is not a ‘fuel shortage’.

The panic buying began when a handful of BP garages reported they would have to shut beause of a shortage brought on by a lack of HGV drivers to deliver fuel. Tesco was also affected.

However, this led motorists to buying up fuel at other non-affected petrol stations, which had led to an actual fuel shortage from Friday and over the weekend at the point of sale.

The issue at BP was itself exacerbated by the shortage of HGV drivers nationwide, Brexit and the pandemic.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has discouraged drivers from panic buying petrol, advising them to “carry on as usual”.

He told Sky News: “The advice would be to carry on as normal, and that is what BP is saying as well.”