The ongoing fuel crisis is beginning to show signs of ‘improvement’, industry chiefs have said.
Drivers have queued up at filling stations across Scotland while some businesses have applied maximum spend limits due to a shortage of fuel in recent days.
It is believed that average fuel levels across the UK have fallen by more than half when compared to last year’s figures.
The fuel industry have now said that there are early signs that the situation at filling stations is getting better.
And it is hoped that the crisis will ‘stabilise further’ after the UK Government announced that its reserve tanker fleet would be deployed to help boost deliveries.
Earlier today, Tory Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said that soldiers would also be delivering fuel as part of an effort to get petrol stations back to normal.
A joint statement released by 14 companies, including the likes of Shell, UK, BP and Esso, read: “While there has always been plenty of fuel at our refineries and terminals, we are also now seeing signs that the situation at the pumps has begun to improve.
“Today we met with the Business Secretary and continue to work closely with the government to maintain regular deliveries of fuel to stations, supports by the welcome deployment of the Reserve Tanker Fleet today.
“We remain confident that the situation will stabilise further in the coming days and encourage everyone to fill up as they normally would to help forecourts return to normal.”
Motorists have been warned that they could face another month of disruption at the pumps.
An industry source told The Times that it could ‘take time’ for petrol stations to recover their stock levels when industry eventually emerges from the crisis.
Stock shortages have come amid a fall in the number of HGV drivers across the UK. The Road Haulage Association estimates that the UK is short by more than 100,000 drivers.
Temporary visas are expected to be handed out by the UK Government to around 5,000 foreign HGV drivers in a bid to alleviate the crisis.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said that Brexit was to blame for the lack of drivers.
The SNP minister previously said that Scotland has an adequate petrol supply to meet normal purchasing patterns. But he also expressed fears that a spike in demand could lead to pumps running out quickly.
Speaking to the BBC on Monday, Mr Swinney said: “There is an adequate supply of fuel to meet normal demand, but it does hinge on being able to distribute that fuel to all locations.
"From my experience of dealing with difficulties about fuel supply in the past, when we had industrial action amongst tanker drivers, supply can run out very quickly because the petrol stations are being replenished with supply on a really very regular basis."
He continued: "In a normal purchasing pattern then, I'm confident there is a distribution arrangement in place that can adequately supply those petrol stations.
"But obviously, if there is an increased demand for fuel, then that will put pressure on the distribution companies in being able to meet that demand in all locations around the country."
