Heath confident over fuel supplies
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but hauliers feel the pinch by Gordon Murray
• Mr Edward Heath's statement in the House of Commons on Tuesday that the Government had received assurances from the Middle East oil producing countries that there is no intention of damage to Britain has come at a time when hauliers are finding it increasingly difficult to guarantee their own supplies of diesel fuel.
Already in the Midlands there have been reports that Phillips Petroleum has instigated an allocation system of diesel fuel supplies to haulage firms as well as refusing to accept new business.
And in Yorkshire Mr A. Wilkinson of A. B. Wilkinson and Son (Transport) at Holme upon Spalding Moor, who runs a fleet of eight 32-ton articulated lorries, has been told by his fuel supplier, Major and Co of Hull. part of the Burmah Group, that from October 31 he will receive no more fuel from them. The company has promised to make one more delivery of 2000 gallons of fuel on that
date.
This will last Mr Wilkinson for about two weeks, after that it looks • as though the business which he started in 1946 will have to close down.
The company has been a customer of Major (its only fuel supplier) for several months: before that it was with Petrofina. Despite offers of cash on delivery from Mr Wilkinson, none of the other oil companies is interested in new customers, and letters explaining his plight to Members of Parliament, including the Prime Minister and the Minister for Transport Industries, have so far been unanswered.
More expensive Mr Wilkinson said: "If there is a shortage of fuel how is it that I can still buy diesel fuel from pumps on garage forecourts? If there is no shortage why can't I get bulk supplies for my own tanks? To buy from garages will cost about 7p per gallon more and the increase will have to be passed on to our customers. Even if I were willing to accept the increase in cost my drivers would still need a cash float, possibly as much as i15 to £20 per run to buy fuel."
A spokesman for Major said: "We just cannot obtain enough, fuel to supply the customers on our books; the company is cutting back on all its customers, including its established trade, some of which have been with the company for over 40 years."
The spokesman added: "We are sorry for this operator but if it is any consolation he won't be on his own. All we can hope is that the Government will introduce rationing by the end of this week.
Failing such a move by the Government it begins to look as though the fuel companies will maintain supplies to the more profitable forecourt pumps for as long as possible. Even at the expense of cutting back on bulk supplies to private companies and operators such as Mr Wilkinson.