LONDON, Sept 23 Reuters - Oil company BP said on Thursday it had temporarily closed some of its petrol forecourts in Britain after its ability to transport fuel from refineries was affected by an industry wide shortage of truck drivers.
We are experiencing some fuel supply problems in some of our commercial sites in the UK and BP said in a statement on Thursday that we have temporarily closed a handful of sites due to a lack of both unleaded and diesel grades.
BP, which has about 1,200 branded stops across the United Kingdom, said it was taking action to address the issue.
We continue to work with our haulier supplier to minimize any future disruption and ensure efficient and effective deliveries to serve our customers, it said.
BP said it was prioritising deliveries to motorway service areas, major trunk roads and sites with the largest demand and seeking to minimise the duration of stock shortages ExxonMobil's Esso said a small number of its 200 Tesco Alliance retail sites had also been impacted in the UK.
We work closely with all parties in our distribution network to minimise stock and optimise any inconvenience to customers, it said in a statement.
The drivers shortage has also caused widespread disruption to the food industry in Britain.
The trucking industry has said it needs another 90,000 drivers to meet demand after Brexit made it harder for new workers to drive in the UK and the COVID-19 Pandemic prevented Europe from qualifying.