Petrol rationing and new 50mph speed limit plan on | Tech News

Plans to ration petrol and limit drivers to 50mph on all UK roads have been put back on the desk following a refusal to rule out actions to control the provision of petrol and diesel to drivers within the wake of spiralling costs.

Prices on the pumps have shot up not too long ago, with the RAC confirming the average value of unleaded petrol is now 141.5p and diesel is 160.3p, each 18-month highs for fuel.

Today, a Labour Treasury minister refused to rule out petrol rationing within the wake of the disaster, and authorities plans set out within the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero beneath its National Emergency Plan for Fuel show precisely how rationing would work in follow ought to or not it’s carried out.

Louisa James, Political Correspondent at ITV’s Good Morning Britain, mentioned on Tuesday morning: “There are experts warning that a severe shortage of oil and gas is now just weeks away. As you would expect the government has emergency plans in place which will be activated in the event of a severe disruption.

“Those are published online and they include things like petrol rationing, giving emergency services and public transport priority for fuel. Also reportedly a temporary 50mph speed limit to reduce demand for fuel.

“A government source told us that the UK has ‘a diverse and resilient’ supply of fuel, that petrol stations are well stocked, that imports are arriving.”

The National Emergency Plan for Fuel says: “The majority of potential fuel supply disruptions can be addressed by measures to help industry maintain fuel supply; these would be deployed by DESNZ in co-ordination with industry and other government departments. However, the government does have emergency powers under the Energy Act 1976, which it can use to control supply and demand of petroleum products. It should be noted that use of these emergency powers is reserved for the most severe of disruptions.

“These measures would only be activated in the event of a severe national fuel supply shortage.

Asked if the Government was making such plans, Dan Tomlinson told Times Radio: “At the moment, it is too early to tell what the impact of this crisis will be in the coming months.

“What we have seen in the last two weeks is that there has been sharp increase in the cost of oil used to heat people’s homes, and the Government has stepped in and said we’re going to provide £50 million of support for people across the UK who are reliant on heating oil.”

Asked again whether or not the Government was making contingency plans to ration petrol, Mr Tomlinson mentioned: “We will monitor the situation, and we’ll monitor it carefully.”