It has been over a week since drivers started forming long lines outside Kent gas stations.
Last Friday (September 24), BP announced that it had to close a “handful” of its gas stations after running out of fuel, while Esso owner ExxonMobil said a “small number” of its Tesco Alliance stations were also affected.
There is currently a shortage of qualified drivers to operate tankers, which is said to be the main problem.
READ MORE: Where you can get fuel as services keep running dry – live updates
There is also a shortage of qualified heavy truck drivers caused by many factors, including Brexit and the COVID pandemic, as well as systematic issues in the industry related to driver compensation.
When driving on the highway, drivers are often reminded of the importance of refueling for long journeys.
On Tuesday, September 28, the INRIX traffic site reported that there were gasoline shortages in the forecourt of the M25 and M20.
However, these warnings no longer appear on the Kent highways.
Instead, the fuel crisis appears to be affecting more residential areas in the county.
Images emerged today (October 1) showing Sainsbury’s and Gulf in Broadstairs as well as Tesco in Ramsgate, all with ‘no fuel’ signs posted outside the gas station.
Cones were also placed to prevent drivers from entering the courtyards.
There were also heavy traffic jams in the main street of Strood throughout the day due to the lines for gasoline.
Here is a full list of gas stations on some of Kent’s main roads.
(Image: Ian Scammell)
Service stations in Kent
Esso MFG Motorway Services – Maidstone
ChannelPorts Truck Station – Hythe
Applegreen Service Station – Ashford
Esso MFG Gate – Canterbury
Chimes Gas Station – Orpington
MFG Meads Gas Station – Purfleet Bypass
MFG gas station – Erith
Shell – Maidstone
Esso MFG Thurrock Services – Gray
BP – Westerham
AS 24 – Hythe
BP – Purity
Sr Services – Gray
Roadchef – Maidstone, M20
AS 24 – Dover
Esso Rontec gas station – Folkestone
Shell – Hythe
AS 24 – Gray
Pace Gas Station – Birchington
(Image: Ian Scammell)
Shell – Gravesend
Texaco – Kingsdown
Sainsbury’s – Ashford
JET – Rochester
Moto Medway – Gillingham
Esso MFG – Gravesend
JET – Hythe
Shell – Sevenoaks
BP – West shopping center
Shell – Tonbridge
Casino filling station – Canterbury
Shell – Romney Marsh
Texaco – Rochester
Shell – Dartford
JET – Rochester
Husk – Dover
Shell – Maidstone
Motor Fuel Ltd – Ashford
SPAR – Gravesend
AS 24 – Dagenham
Shell – Maidstone
Apple green – Wadhurst
Esso MFG – Gravesend
Shell – Gravesend
JET – Whitstable
Shell – Snodland
Esso – Rochester
Esso – Maidstone
BP – Maidstone
Shell – Aylesford
Esso MFG – Walmer
(Image: KentLive)
Moto Dover – Dover
Shell – Maidstone
BP – Dartford
Esso – Faversham
Shell – Sevenoaks
Shell – Birchington
Gasoline co-op – Tonbridge
Esso – Sandwich
Texaco – Ashford
Esso – Maidstone
Texaco – Rochester
Shell – Rochester
Shell – Folkestone
(Image: Natasha Synnott)
Asda – Chatham
Gulf – Ashford
Cooperative – Ramsgate
Morrisons – Rochester
Esso – Tonbridge
Apple green – Basildon
Shell – Rochester
Tesco – Folkestone
Apple green – Crawley
Gulf – Ramsgate
Queensborough Gas Station – Sheerness
BP – Chatham
Esso – Dartford
Shell – Cobham
Cobham Services – Cobham
You can keep up to date with our coverage of the queues around Kent via our live blog.
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