(Recasts headline and lead)
LONDON, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Britain's transport minister
pleaded with drivers on Tuesday to refrain from filling up old
water bottles with fuel at gas stations after panic buying left
pumps dry across major cities.
"We're starting to see very tentative signs of stabilisation
which won't yet be reflected in the queues," Transport Secretary
Grant Shapps told Sky. He added that reserves at many gas
stations had been replenished.
"The sooner we all return to our normal buying habits, the
quicker this gets resolved - and I do appeal to the public to do
that. In particular, no more water bottles at petrol stations:
its dangerous and not helpful."
Queues of drivers snaked back from those petrol stations
that were still serving in major cities, though dozens of
forecourts were closed with signs saying they had no petrol or
diesel, Reuters reporters said.
Shapps said the fuel crisis was almost completely due to the
COVID pandemic which halted truck licence examinations.
"This problem is almost entirely caused by Coronavirus and
the inability during lockdowns to test new HGV drivers," Shapps
said.
"Brexit I hear mentioned a lot, and it no doubt will have
been a factor. On the other hand, it's actually helped us to
change rules to be able to test more drivers more quickly -
flexibilities that we have received by coming outside of the EU
and being able to change the law," Shapps said.
(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge and Kate Holton)