Queues around Petrol Stations

There’s quite a lot of traffic around Bell Green due to queuing for the petrol station (which only opened at 7am!):

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Staff are controlling the forecourt which is understandably busy and somewhat inevitable given the reports of queues in mainstream media yesterday.

Only let those in the red in to fill up - surely that will ease congestion

Damm, I actually need some petrol for a drive Monday, hopefully things have calmed down by tomorrow but I fear not.

Stansted Road is also blocked by the BP garage too, cars everywhere and on the wrong side of the road:

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Definitely a good day to leave the car at home - if you can

That looks chaos. I assume the police will need to come out to marshall that, things will back up everywhere if it stays like that.

Yeah, it’s the same everywhere and I think that the chaos will only resolve when the petrol stations close their forecourts, presumably once their tanks are empty, only to restart after the next fuel delivery. Ironically I did see what looked like a petrol tanker stuck in the traffic…

London Road chaos, backed up beyond the Horniman:

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If people are worried about having enough fuel driving said car and waiting in a queue with the engine running doesn’t seem the most rational response.

But then again I don’t own a car so what do I know. I plan to use my legs and electric powered trains for my essential journey needs over the next week or so.

The Esso at the Horniman had no fuel yesterday so must have had a delivery. Which presumably suggests that there are deliveries getting through so the panic filling is unnecessary. Shades of toilet rolls and flout all over again…

Traffic isn’t helped by the lane closure under the railway bridge in Forest Hill.

Well the queue for the esso on brockley road made it to the top of bbc news. If that makes things any better?

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Well things are fun down by the Tesco Garage. We were nearly hit by a car earlier as we walked along the pavement by Eliot Bank as drivers are deciding to bypass the queue for the petrol station by driving on the pavement.

Went to Sainsbury’s Bell Green at 2:30 and the petrol station was closed. I’m running low on fuel and will soon see the running low light.

I’m holding off on my trip to the petrol station and am hoping this calms down by Monday/Tuesday (if my fuel keeps for that long)…

I wondered why the traffic was backed up past Sunderland Road when I went out about an hour ago!

I just went out, all 6 petrol stations I went to were out of fuel. It did look like the one on Brownhill lane might have some but I opted against joining the queue.

I need some for work ideally Monday but definitely Tuesday and for the rest of the week and also now on red. Hmmm.

Encouragingly it looks like the Bell Green Sainsbury’s was resupplied overnight, but unfortunately this is evidenced by the queues of cars again

The Stansted Road BP and London Road Esso were not selling fuel when I passed this morning.

They were out of fuel by 10am.

Just a shame that the trains are not running (again) this weekend.

A chum of mine lives in Bell Green, you could see the long queues of panic buying saddos from his bathroom window.

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Well, at least we can dispense with the arguments about cyclists riding ‘in the middle of the road’ now. #neverforget the Fuel Shortages of 2021.

I cycled to Lewisham hospital today and there were huge queues to get into the Shell station right outside the hospital Emergency entrance opposite. People driving in Bus Lanes and all over the place. Traffic stretching in each direction, at least back to the gyratory in Catford.

Not only that it delayed a load of staff so the vaccine clinic was backed up with a lot of old vulnerable people queuing in the cold. The nurse who gave me my vaccine was worried about getting fuel for her role as a community carer tomorrow - she’s even hoping the emergency fuel rationing for key workers will kick in soon if things don’t improve. It’s not going well.

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It will be like something out of ‘Mad Max’ soon

"a dystopian future where fuel is scarce and law and order has begun to break down … "

I managed to get some from here yesterday. The queue ended up snaking in to the bus lane near the entry point to the BP garage. Further down, cars turning in from the the other side ended up queuing in the opposite incoming traffic lane.

The above would appear a disaster but actually meant traffic could flow. Cars heading towards FH could drive in the normal lane. Cars heading towards Catford could drive in the normal lane, though perdiodically delayed when cars turning into the garage did not leave a space.

Generally ok queue, with some periodic queue jumpers in some of those gaps but otherwise generally good humoured. Still a 40 odd minute wait mind you.

Traffic backed up to Horniman on South Circ as the Esso/Tesco has fuel. 20 odd cars in the queue at 0930. Someone is managing the flow onto the forecourt; one in, one out.

… the same petrol station that’s suffered this – let’s hope they catch them

No wonder it’s one in one out!

I don’t know why they don’t switch the pay at pump only option on, that way they can’t fill up and leave.

I thought you had to pre-auth your card at the pump before you could get any petrol…

I think that is only in the evening or at certain times?

Yeah, you’ll only need to pre-auth your card really late at night if told to do so or on the pay at pump terminals.

Usually in the daytime the people on the tills just visually check you’re safe to fill up and they’ll have a flag as to whether you’re a drive off risk/have outstanding payments due, thanks to ANPR systems.

Unless people are using fake number plates I’m not sure how they think they’ll get away with stealing fuel.

But then people who can only pay cash can’t use the pumps.

Does anyone know if Sainsburys has any fuel at the moment? Running very short and have an urgent need for the car!

I’ve been up there every evening since the weekend, and it’s been closed. I understand
The large Tesco in Beckenham is managing to get deliveries (of petrol) every day, however people are queuing overnight…

Some people actually think the current situation is something to laugh about, not me I’m fuming, it’s no laughing matter!

Walk into the place and give them £x money to switch on the pump.

I’m on the last of my fuel and with about 2% left before my tank is fully dry.

I went to Sydenham Sainsburys, BP Kirkdale, BP Stanstead Road, Esso in Horniman and Shell Crystal Palace out of desperation and ended up basically rolling home on fumes.

I really am at a loss as to what to do as I need my car for work and more importantly need fuel to visit a relative who is sick at home and I need to give help with his care each day.

I am now stuck travelling by bus for an hour or taxi until I can go down to the station with the last drops of petrol or walk and fill up and fuel can.

I genuinely cant believe we are in this position in 2021 and shows the state of our country.

It’s black humour, that’s what we Brits do. I doubt that anyone really finds it that funny apart from a few cyclists spouting off on twitter. Even then it’s mostly laughing at the idiocy of those queuing up for a couple of litres.

Have I been directly affected by this? Not yet as I have a hybrid and still have half a tank of fuel after filling up in Derbyshire last week. Not smug, just stating a fact. If this carries on I’ll be taking an awful journey by tram and train/overground to HOP. My elder daughter and her partner can’t get fuel. My younger daughter’s fiance can’t get fuel and he’s borrowed his mum’s fuelled up car to get to work when he could be using his far more economical motorbike. My son went out in the early hours of Sunday morning when he was running on fumes to fill up his motorbike to get to work this week.

All this could have been avoided if the petrol stations had taken on a hired guard. Half a tank or more in reserve? No way, come back when you’re at a quarter. How many petrol cans do you plan to fill? More than one is a no-no. The great British public’s propensity for stockpiling has to be curtailed - AGAIN.

What makes you think so many of the refillers are on half empty tanks?

Mine is half full so I’m ok for a while.

Couldn’t your future son in law siphon it out of his mum’s car? Perhaps a different fuel type.

A lot of modern cars have anti-siphon tanks these days.

Just visited bell green. Queues back past mini roundabout. For access to the shops if you drive past the petrol station with it on your right there is no traffic/queue.

I’ve only got 50 miles left in my tank and am saving that in case of any emergency involving my 93 year old MiL who lives in Cheam. So I’ve taken to using the busses and so far have passed 4 sites in FH that used to be petrol stations: Perry Vale at the bottom of Normanton St, behind the BLM signs on Waldram Park, Whites Paints on Brockley Rise and the triangle opposite the Chandos all presumably put out of business by the cheap fuel at the supermarkets.

Massive queue going back from the BP on the South Circular near the fire station snaking all the way back to Sunderland Road, though some of that is I think drivers just stuck who can’t drive further.

The panic in London seems strange. I understand people rely on their cars for all sorts of reasons but a lot of the journies described above can be taken by public transport. It might not be as easy or comvenient but can be done, unlike a lot of areas in the country.

That’s why all the petrol is being delivered outside of London and there are less issues with supply outside London.
All the TfL traffic cams have been switched off from public access, no doubt to prevent us seeing where there might be some petrol.

This morning that queue went at least as far as the railway bridge.

Working for me and diesel at Forest Hill 15 minute wait

The infrastructure just hasn’t kept pace with the huge increase in London’s housing stock, meaning there are fewer petrol stations per capita than in the rest of the country. Plus, as @Michael says, there’s more reliance on private transport outside London.

The loss of several hundred forecourts in London may also had an affect.

Let’s not forget it’s not just your average “Joe Blow” being affected by these fuel problems, some of our most prized national treasures have also suffered.
For example just today one of the country’s foremost public figures was not only having difficulty “filling up” he was also involved in a traffic accident, thankfully he wasn’t on foot when the van hit him him… Farage says he was hit by van after searching seven petrol stations for fuel

Best wishes and a speedy recovery to Nigel

Thank goodness he is alright.

Imagine bumping into Farage, at the Garage!

I doubt that he imagined taking back control of his own destiny would be so exciting, visiting seven petrol stations in one day!

Some football player sending out his chauffer to sit for hours in a queue in a £220K Bentley … is this the real world? Nearly a quarter of a million for a car???

it’s about half a weeks work… call it a week if he is paying tax ‘simply’.

I find it more amazing/amusing that he failed to get petrol.

Just been down to Bell Green to do my weekly shop. Couldn’t even get into the car park. I don’t even want petrol, I just want to do my shopping. This is getting out of hand.

I’ve been told that the technique for getting into Sainsbury’s to shop is to approach the car park from the Lower Sydenahm side and drive in past the petrol station on your right.

Which entrance is that? Either way, it was chaos.

I went pas this morning. The queue for petrol was starting at Livesey Hall so go past that queue (get in the right hand lane), go around the roundabout and turn in left to Sainsbury’s with the petrol station on your right and car park on left.

If you wanted to get to PC World etc I’d probably just park there and walk, but I have not driven in so not sure how it works once you are in, but the road I mention was clear this morning when others were queuing for petrol.

Alas, this wasn’t the case this morning…
I’d gone along to Bell Green to get some groceries at Sainsburys, and tried the loop around to get into the car park - having successfully done it a few days earlier.

This morning there was a fuel queue coming in that side of the car park that snaked past the entrance to the forecourt , through the carpark, out onto the access road, past the entrance road to Sports Direct, then around the mini roundabout (where it joined up with the queue from the Perry Hill side!) and back along the access road through the carpark!

Took me a good 10 minutes to get into the carpark - and another 20 to get out of the carpark when I’d finished my shop, since by then the place was totally gridlocked in both directions.

Think I’ll give the Savacentre and any other businesses on Bell Green a total miss until this craziness has passed.

Try Sainsbury’s in Dog Kennel Hill, they don’t have a petrol station so should be easier to use.

There has been very very little extra housing stock in our area compared to other parts of the country. More people occupying the same number of houses is another matter perhaps.

I think it’s more likely about it being less profitable to run a petrol station in London due to the much higher cost of land and perhaps nowadays stricter regulations for building new or making changes to stations next to peoples houses.

Agreed. This morning traffic was queuing back all the way up Perry Hill until about the junction with Houston Rd. People overtaking to get to the other lane at the traffic lights.

Perhaps worse, a bit later I witnessed a fuel lorry delivering at Shell on the A21 Bromley Hill. The forecourt was closed but cars were queuing on the road blocking traffic all the way up almost as far as Bromley town centre. As the station was closed nothing was moving in that direction and it would have stayed like that for a long while - on a major A Road.

I feel lucky I don’t have to drive on a daily basis.

I’ve come to the midlands for the weekend. From what I’ve experienced, no petrol station queues here and drove straight in to top up yesterday. Wonder if, like most people mention, more cars per petrol station in London making it harder to get fuel. Also people then seeing said queues so panic buying.

I think so. I’ve witnessed a queue start to form because drivers saw a car turning into a petrol station and so followed. The first car parked up by the Amazon lockers while the others slowly drive through and out, which seemed to draw more attention to the petrol station and caused further cars to embark on sightseeing trips through the forecourt!

No queues to get into Sainsbury this morning as the petrol station is completely shut!

Same with Stansted BP which is closed, though there is queuing at London Road Esso.

There were cars getting petrol at the Stanstead Rd BP ten minutes ago.

I was just in here picking up engine oil and it’s diesel only. The guy inside didn’t reckon they’d get another delivery until Monday or Tuesday.

Yep only diesel but nice to have only a little queue to find out & bonus was Greggs for lunch

Got some unleaded at Esso this afternoon. 15-20 minutes from Horniman to the garage but nice to have the warning light switched off.

What’s the etiquette in London for filling up a jerry can? I limped back in on fumes on Friday evening and my pickup died seconds before I took the key out of the ignition. I’ve set my alarm for tomorrow for 4 in the morning. Can you just walk past the queue and fill the can up without getting your head kicked in by queuing motorists?

Depending on the petrol station, there will probably be a pump that cars can’t easily use or is being blocked by someone. Just walk up and use it.
That’s what I did the other night on my motorcycle, I was filled up and paid before there was a car waiting to use it.
A pay at pump garage is easiest for this.

The etiquette does depend on what you are driving or not. If it happens to be a white BMW sports car you just drive up to the exit, wait and when a pump becomes free - simply reverse in and fill up.

Observed last night at the Jet station, Croydon Road, Penge.

I would never have guessed …

Drove straight into Sainsbury’s Bell Green 20 minutes ago and filled up. No queue, straight to the pump. Cashier said things have improved.

Do they do E5?

I filled up my almost empty tank with unleaded just now at the BP garage in Kirkdale, just above Cobb’s Corner. No queues, plenty of pumps free.

Sorry not sure.

I’ve noticed that most petrol stations sell E5 as the premium fuel, for about 10p/litre more, and regular unleaded seems to be E10 these days.

BP on Stansted Road looks normal too - people filling up, no queues. I didn’t notice any E5, but isn’t every car sold in the UK since 2011 supposed to be good for E10?

No queues and normal refueling going on at Sainsbury’s Bell Green this morning too.

No unleaded at esso this morning, only diesel.

I drove into Kent yesterday. I’d say of the 6 or so stations I saw, half were closed with no petrol, but those that were open had at most 2 cars in the queue.

Not right now at Bell Green:

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Plenty of E10 and diesel though.

I think so but some people will have older ones. Have to say I completely missed the fact that petrol was changing and just filled up my car anyway. Luckily mine is E10 compatible but I don’t remember seeing a lot of publicity about it. I suppose it’s assumed that most people have post 2011 cars. (Or maybe I just missed an information campaign!)

There’s been signage at petrol stations for ages, plus a couple of weeks of national media coverage.
I’m guessing a lot of people have missed the petrol station notices because the majority of the signs are advertising deals that nobody needs so we ignore them.

I haven’t needed petrol yet, but on Saturday I drove down to Croydon Ikea and yesterday I got the 172 to Aldwych and back (thanks to the trains being off at HOP, and limited from Crofton Park!) and I’ve got to say I noticed no fuel signs at every petrol station we went past which is concerning as I do need to fill up before this weekend.

Are things really back to normal?

If you head down that way again, you could try ASDA on Beddington Lane. I got petrol there last Friday and there wasn’t a queue. Only E10 though, as far as I’m aware.

Actually just been to Bell Green and its fine. A few pumps closed but mostly fine.

Yep, we went to Bell Green on Saturday and normal service.

ESSO by the Horniman seems to be fully stocked as of a few minutes ago. A car by every pump but no queues.

The BP looks like it’s got all taps working