Petrol shortage hits Uist as filling stations run dry 17/9/12
Motorists in the Uists face a fuel shortage with petrol and diesel supplies running out at many filling stations.
Retailers say the shortage is due to problems at monopoly wholesaler Scottish Fuels which supplies all of Uist and Barra from its depot at Lochcarnan.
North Uist and Benbecula seems to be the worst hit with not a drop of petrol available tonight (Mon).
Supplies across Uist have been very intermittent recently.
It is unknown when Scottish Fuels will next deliver to the petrol stations though there is a suggestion its road tanker may turn up with a part load mid week.
The lack of deliveries left the tanks empty at the Bayhead Shop filling station in Paible on the westside of North Uist from last Wednesday until Friday. Then a partial weekend delivery only lasted 24 hours.
Ewan Maclean of the Bayhead Shop said: “We have been running out of fuel.”
“We got some fuel delivered on Friday but that only kept us going until Saturday.”
Mr Maclean said: “I don’t know what is happening. The situation is not good.
“We are getting grief from every direction.”
“I was phoning Scottish Fuels at Lochcarnan and we might get some fuel in on Wednesday.”
One worried moroislander is worried there “is no update on when they will get supplies in.“
She is concerned that the crisis “will inevitably lead to mass disruption throughout the islands as works vehicles are already out of fuel, school busses will no longer run and emergency services will also be affected putting many lives in possible danger.”
However, the emergency services normally have priority and have access to reserve
fuel supplies.