77% of people surveyed for the ITV News Index has said the Government is responsible for causing unnecessary panic over the threatened strike by fuel tanker drivers.
Talks aimed at averting a strike will be held on Wednesday.
47 percent of people surveyed in an ITV News/ComRes poll do not understand why fuel tanker drivers are threatening to strike.
However, the same proportion believes that the fuel tanker drivers are right to threaten to strike over their demands concerning safety standards.
42 percent of respondents agreed that fuel tanker drivers should be treated in the same way as essential services such as the Police or the Army and banned from going on strike. The same proportion disagreed.
The conciliatory service Acas has announced that talks aimed at resolving the fuel tanker drivers' dispute will be held on Wednesday.
The Prime Minister's spokesman's notes 'don't make sense' - does the Government's advice?
Preparations are due to start today for talks to resolve the fuel tanker drivers' dispute which lead to panic petrol buying across the UK.