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The lack of truck drivers means that fuel cannot be delivered to gas stations, but the government has pledged to take urgent action.
Due to lack of truck drivers, panic buying has exacerbated shortages, and gasoline pumps in British cities are drying up.
On Sunday, long queues of gas stations across the country swallowed up supplies, forcing many retailers to close, despite the government’s assurance that the UK would not be short of fuel.
Brian Madderson, President of the Gasoline Retailers Association (PRA), said: “Some of our members, large groups with a series of sites, reported that 50% had dried up as of yesterday, and some even reported as much as 90% as of yesterday. It has dried up.”, told BBC Sky News on Monday.
PRA stands for independent fuel retailers and they account for 65% of all front yards in the UK.
“So you can see it is very serious,” Madsen said. “Monday morning will start to get very dry.”
Al Jazeera’s Andrew Simmons reported outside a gas station in the capital London that people were trying to store fuel in tanks.
“The government found itself in a mess on this matter,” he said. “It’s out of control.”
The British government is considering conscripting the army to help deliver fuel across the country [Phil Noble/Reuters]Temporary visa
British oil giant BP said that nearly one-third of its gas stations nationwide have run out of two main grades of fuel — unleaded gasoline and diesel — because a large number of panic purchases forced the government to suspend competition laws and allow companies to work together Alleviate shortages.
Secretary of Commerce Kwasi Kwarteng stated that the suspension will allow companies to share information and coordinate their responses.
The Ministry of Commerce said in a statement: “This step will enable the government to constructively cooperate with fuel producers, suppliers, transporters and retailers to ensure that interference is minimized.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative government also announced a plan to issue temporary visas to 5,000 foreign truck drivers to alleviate the crisis in the world’s fifth largest economy.
Post-Brexit immigration rules mean that newly arrived EU citizens can no longer work visa-free in the UK, just like when the UK was a member of the EU.
Shortage of trailers
For months, the government has been refusing to provide more visas, despite an estimated shortage of about 100,000 freight drivers and warnings from various industries that the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit have worsened the situation.
Business leaders warn that the visa initiative is a short-term solution and will not solve the severe labor shortage.
The government said that in the long run, British workers should receive training to fill driving jobs because it calls on transport companies to improve pay and working conditions.
In recent months, the lack of truck drivers has also hit British factories, restaurants and supermarkets.
The shortage has damaged the supply chain, made the listing of goods challenging, and raised concerns about rising prices on Christmas Eve.
In addition to threats to timely fuel supplies, the lack of truck drivers has also hit British factories, restaurants and supermarkets in recent months. [Frank Augstein/AP Photo]
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