Salisbury taxi firm All the Sevens responds to fuel shortages

All the Sevens is just one firm in Salisbury impacted by the national fuel crisis, caused by the shortage of HGV drivers and the 'panic buying' of fuel across the city.

According to the taxi service, drivers have been waiting around 45 minutes in petrol station queues, and are then trying to save as much of the product as possible.

Describing the situation as "a big worry", Gary Taylor of All the Sevens said drivers are also finishing their working day earlier, in an attempt to preserve fuel.

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Tesco petrol station, Southampton Road, this morning, September 28

"Obviously driving has now been capped at £30, which we understand, but we're not just shipping customers around," he said, "we help the local authority, we help the hospital by getting patients home and moving supplies around - this is having a real impact.

"Some drivers are having to finish their shifts earlier and are keeping fuel back for council and school contracts, so it's really affecting drivers' earnings too.

"We're not turning people away yet but drivers just have no other option but to do less hours.

"Contracts for the local authority are our bread and butter really, and then drivers need to finish early. Then we're queueing for 45 minutes to get fuel and then trying to save it."

Today, September 28, several petrol stations have informed the Journal that they have either run out of fuel, or they are running low.

Follow our live blog for the latest updates and information.

Customers queue for fuel at the Wilton Road garage on Friday, September 24

Gary added: "People need to be mindful, obviously we all need to get to work but our trade is so reliant on it - without a car, our main work resource, we can't work at all."

Meanwhile Salisbury's main bus provider is encouraging residents to use public transport instead.

Salisbury Reds managing director Andrew Wickham has revealed the operator has been "largely unaffected" by the shortages, but residents could use this opportunity to help improve the environment.

Andrew said: “We have sufficient stocks and supply-chain assurances, and we expect our buses to be unaffected by these issues.

"With this in mind, I would encourage those who might usually drive their cars to work, or into the city for other reasons, to leave their vehicles at home and travel with us instead.

“Although we are faced with a challenging situation, this could be the perfect time for people to try changing their travelling habits and use sustainable transport."

The special Salisbury Reds bus filled with donations for refugees

He added: "A double decker bus has the potential to remove up to 75 cars from our roads - which could lead to reduced congestion and improved air quality.

“If more people choose to leave their cars at home, and travel with us instead, we could make a real impact in helping to improve the environment for all those living in our city.”

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