Some SA service stations run out of fuel
SA service stations running out of fuel
Service stations in South Australia have started running out of petrol as a national crackdown on a major fuel transport company continues.
The Shell service station at the intersection of North East and Sudholz Rds at Windsor Gardens ran out of all types of fuel at 11.30am today.
Several other service stations around town have also since been forced to shut off their pumps - even as far south as Victor Harbor.
The fuel shortage is a result of a safety crackdown on haulage giant Cootes after two people were killed in a fiery crash involving one of its trucks in Sydney last week.
Dozens of vehicles have been taken off the road interstate while in South Australia, the company voluntarily conducted safety checks on its fleet of 40 vehicles.
About a dozen of those remain off the road.
Shell has been hardest affected by the shortage and said supplies will start returning to normal as more Cootes trucks return to service – which it hopes will be before the weekend.
But the shortage has been good news for independent retailers, who are not affected because they use an independent supplier.
“Yesterday was the best day we’ve had in five years,” independent retailer Sam Shoaeeyan told 7News.
While the big service stations have been accused of keeping prices high to recover losses, the independents have dropped them in line with the cycle.
“If we can get the supply that we’re promised, we run the business like normal,” Mr Shoaeeyan said.
