[Independent] Long queues for petrol at stations as motorists in UK try to beat the fuel blockade

[M.G.G. Pillai]

The Independent, London


Long queues at forecourts as motorists try to beat fuel blockade

By Colin Brown, Deputy Political Editor

Published: 13 September 2005


The army has been put on stand-by to prevent supermarkets being
closed by blockades by fuel protesters, as retailers last night
appealed for motorists not to panic-buy.

Texaco, which runs 1,100 service stations said business was "brisk".
Stations in Birmingham said they had run out of unleaded fuel. Police
in Merseyside complained that motorists were calling 999 to find out
where they could buy petrol.

Lengthy queues were reported across the country. Ray Holloway
director ]of the Petrol Retailers Association, said: "I really do
appeal to people to actually just buy fuel when they need it. If
people really do buy in the normal way, fuel will be available on the
forecourts when they need it."

Ministers said they are taking seriously the threat of refinery
blockades by the fuel protesters over the price of petrol hitting £1
a litre. Campaigners who are planning to disrupt traffic with a go-
slow on the M4 tomorrow yesterday said the port of Dover could also
be targeted.

Alan Johnson, the Trade and Industry Secretary, who is taking the
lead on the issue with Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary, will today
report on contingency plans before Tony Blair leaves for the UN
summit in New York.

"We cannot have food and petrol being blockaded, and the public
understand that," a senior ministerial source said. "We are quite
serious about this. Unlike the last time we had the fuel protests,
many petrol stations have closed and the supermarkets are a much more
important factor. We won't let them close."

The army plans to use heavy vehicles to remove blockading lorries and
ministers will be told anti-terror laws could be used to stop the
country being held to ransom by the protesters.

Gordon Brown will today also repeat calls he made at the weekend
meeting of the OPEC oil-producing countries, for them to raise
production to stabilise the world market.

The Chancellor will tell the TUC: "It is because we understand the
problems faced by hauliers, farmers and motorists at a time of
doubling oil prices ... that the first action we must take is to
tackle the cause of the problem: ensuring concerted global action is
taken to bring down world oil prices and stabilise the market for the
long term"

Friends of the Earth, however, urged Mr Brown to resist pressure to
cut prices at the pumps. "He should say that climate change is
driving our agenda," it said.

Mr Brown has signalled that he will continue to freeze fuel duty in
the pre-Budget report in November, but he is refusing to cut fuel
duty to offset price increases blamed on Hurricane Katrina.

Andrew Spence, a farmer and spokesman for the Fuel Lobby, which is
planning the protests, said he was forced to join a queue for fuel
yesterday. He blamed panic buying on the Government for reports that
the ministers were ready to introduce rationing as part of its
contingency plans.

The Fuel Lobby is calling on the public to "attend'"oil refineries
from 6am tomorrow to begin their protests. "We are not calling for a
blockade but if oil companies decide they cannot send out lorries
while there is a public presence at their site, then that is a matter
for them," Mr Spence said.

Mr Holloway said, however: "Whilst I would accept that yesterday was
a robust day's trading, we don't believe that we are seeing anything
which equates to 2000 [during the latest major fuel-price protests]."

Alan Duncan, the Conservative spokesman on transport and a former oil
trader, said he had enormous sympathy for the protesters but he
added: "I would not support any disruption caused by such protests.

"It's a pity they have to resort to such things just to make Gordon
Brown understand a little bit more about the oil business."

The leaders of the protests

ANDREW SPENCE, Farmer and haulier from Consett, Co Durham

Played a part in the last protest in 2000 and still a leading light
in the People's Fuel Lobby (PFL), which plans blockades from 6am
tomorrow.The website run by PFL is at the heart of the protests.

ALAN GREENE, Haulier from Cross Hands, Carmarthenshire.

He coordinates the South Wales Hauliers' Association, which intends
to blockade the M4 on Friday. The convoy may also decide to show its
strength outside a Tesco distribution depot in Magor.

PAUL REYNOLDS, Farmer and agricultural contractor in Chippenham,
Wiltshire.

Group treasurer of the Farmers for Action group, which shares PFL
frustration. "If every farmer in the country took a week's holiday,
the country would be brought to its knees in 24 hours."

RICHARD HADDOCK, Beef farmer from Plymouth.

Led protests at refineries in Plymouth five years ago but this time
says it is his intention to protest at every filling station in the
region at the start of the Labour Party conference on 25 September.

© 2005 Independent News & Media (UK) Ltd.

[gnh]

We had to queue up for diesel not too long ago .....

..... perhaps tomorrow we have to throw away our diesel-powered vehicles ?
or even Petrol ?

Other people queue up, make much noise. Our lorry and bus drivers ( plus
passengers ) stranded in the middle of the jungle, nobody cares ..........

BN = caring government ? ha ha ha ..... !@!@!@!@!
monkey talk

Be prepared ........ back to stone ages ( if not already )