The offer comes after fights have broken out on forecourts
A petrol station in Worcester has saved its remaining fuel for emergency services and keyworkers as chaotic scenes continue to break out across Britain as motorists come to blows at pumps.
Drivers were seen fighting on a forecourt in Camden, London, over the weekend as Brian Madderson – chairman of the Petrol Retailers Association added fuel to the petrol panic Monday, by suggesting that 50-90% of petrol stations are currently dry, “and those that aren’t dry are partly dry and running out soon”.
On Monday afternoon, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said designated petrol stations should be reserved for essential workers and Union Unison called on the government to “designate fuel stations for the sole use of key workers”.
UNISON general secretary @cmcanea tells @bbcnews the government needs to ‘get a grip’ on the fuel crisis and use emergency powers to designate some petrol stations for the use of essential key workers pic.twitter.com/lUueHxPJl2
— UNISON – UK's largest union (@unisontheunion) September 27, 2021
Police, fire service, NHS, and ambulance staff, as well as care workers, can fill up at ESSO garage in Broomhall, off the A4440 Ketch roundabout, the Worcester News reported, with the petrol station, on the A38, temporarily stopping serving the general public on Monday to ensure it had enough.
Co-owner Michelle Luxton told the Worcester News that emergency and keyworkers would simply need to have ID with them.
“We are limiting our fuel for emergency staff and keyworkers and, of course, if an ambulance or police car turn up,” she said.
Luxton said the petrol station serviced everyone during the morning, but then closed to the general public and kept “a reserve for emergency workers.”
It saved 1,500 litres of each fuel grade for emergency service staff to fill up at all times.
The petrol station is due deliveries on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday when it plans to open back up to the general public.
“We just wanted to make sure we are providing fuel for those local emergency services and workers who need it,” Luxton said.
The Esso filling station is a family-run business that has operated in Clerkenleap for 15 years.
Co-owner Adam Marsh added to Worcester News: “It’s important that we save the fuel for the emergency services.
“If an ambulance needs to get to someone’s emergency they will need fuel. “It’s the same with the emergency workers. “We need to make sure nurses can get to work otherwise it will put more pressure on the NHS or the police. “It is vital they get there and can continue working.”
The big-hearted offer comes after ambulance driver Becky Hough told how she was verbally abused on a petrol station forecourt after she was unable to fill up the emergency vehicle for two days.
The apprentice emergency care assistant tweeted about her ordeal but was hit with a barrage of criticism saying her ambulance has a big fuel tank and she shouldn’t have got so low.
other commenters suggested that emergency services shouldn’t be using normal petrol stations and should have their own pumps.
In a statement on Monday, British Medical Association council chair, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, said healthcare workers should be prioritised to guarantee care to patients as “there is a real risk that NHS staff won’t be able to do their jobs”.
“While the government has said it is putting plans in place to alleviate the shortage of HGV drivers to transport fuel, the results of this won’t be immediate,” he said.
“Healthcare and essential workers must therefore be given priority access to fuel so they can continue their crucial work and guarantee care to patients.”
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