'I cannot afford it but I also don’t want to be stuck'

Panic-buying sees cap on amounts being sold

A SERVICE station in Tuam has put a cap on maximum fuel purchases per customer in a bid to prevent a shortage due to panic buying throughout the day.

Motorists have been queuing up at almost every fuel station in Tuam and other main towns as fears grow regarding the ongoing blockades at fuel depots.

Most filling stations in Tuam have seen a surge in the number of vehicles filling their tanks since this (Thursday) morning.

Customers are buying as much as they can, mostly trying to get full tank.

One motorist told The Tuam Herald that they were scared that there might be a shortage, and that prices would go up again and hence he was buying as much as he could.

“I have bought €100 worth of fuel and I hope this will keep me going for at least two weeks. I cannot afford it but I also don’t want to be stuck since I need my car to go to work every day,” he said.

“I need fuel to get to work to earn money to pay bills. I am definitely buying more than I would usually buy because there is too much uncertainty around the fuel supply right now,” added another buyer.

Katie Kirrane, shop assistant at the filling station at the N17 Tuam Plaza said that she has never seen such rush in the last few years.

“We can’t move from the tills as there are customers coming over one after the other,” she said.

Alan Bradburn, manager of the filling station in N17 Tuam Plaza assured that there is no shortage on their end since they have received their deliveries on time and are expecting a further delivery on Friday.

“It would be all right if people just stop panic buying,” he said.

Due to the increase in number of customers and number of sales, some forecourt owners are worried of the shortage that may be caused due to people’s panic buying rather than a disruption in delivery.

Joe Mannion, of Mannion’s filling station in Tuam said that their sales had gone up by more than 30 per cent in just one day and their stock is going low.

“Our next delivery is expected on Saturday but if this continues we could go out of stock,” he said.

To avoid such situations, Corrib Oil in Tuam has put a cap on fuel purchases, where customers cannot buy more than €50 worth at a time.

“We just want to be fair to everyone and avoid one customer buying too much and one getting none,” said the store manager at Corrib Oil service station.

“We have no shortage of fuel, and we are hoping to have our next delivery tomorrow (Friday). If the panic continues, we would be in trouble just like some other stations in Galway City,” he added.

In a statement Fuels for Ireland have appealed to the protestors to stand down their protests at fuel terminals and the refinery.

“The people being hurt by these actions are not politicians, not civil servants, and not fuel suppliers. They are households, businesses, farmers, hauliers, workers, and communities across the country.

“They are the very people who rely on fuel to live their lives, to get to work, to run their businesses, to care for family members, and to keep essential services moving.”