The British government says it is keeping the military on standby as part of further measures to address the supply chain crisis, which has prompted motorists to run fuel pumps amid panic.
The move to mobilize the army comes after a widespread shortage of truck drivers has caused severe supply problems for retailers and restaurants over the past few months, meaning plentiful fuel stocks haven’t reached filling stations. .
Warnings of a fuel supply shortage last weekend sparked panic buying, long lines of cars waiting for hours to fill, and pumps running dry in cities across Britain as a result.
The government had already announced plans to issue temporary visas for 5,000 foreign truck drivers, suspend competition laws and bring former drivers back into the industry as part of measures to tackle the labor shortage.
It said it would now keep a limited number of military tanker drivers in a ready state to be deployed if necessary.
“While the fuel industry expects demand to return to its normal levels in the coming days, it is only right that we take these sensible, precautionary measures,” Trade Minister Quasi Quarteng said in a statement late Monday.
“If necessary, the deployment of military personnel will provide the supply chain with additional capacity as a temporary measure to help ease pressures caused by spikes in local demand for fuel.”
The government said the army’s tanker drivers would receive special training before being deployed to help them deal with supply chain issues.
Fuel demand meant that 50% to 90% of pumps were dry in some areas of the UK, according to The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), which represents independent fuel retailers, which account for 65% of all 8,380 forecourts in the UK. are part.
The fuel industry says there is no shortage, and the issue is to take petrol and diesel to the forecourt.
A joint said, “Since many cars now hold more fuel than usual, we expect demand to return to normal levels in the coming days, reducing pressure on the fuel station forecourt. will encourage.” Statement of fuel companies.
However, truck drivers, gas stations and retailers say there is no quick fix because the shortage of truck drivers – estimated to be around 100,000 – was so acute, and because transporting fuel would have required additional training and licenses. Is.
The government said it is also extending the exclusive HGV (Heavy Good Vehicle) license, which allows drivers to transport fuel, whose permits were due to expire in the next three months, so that they can continue to operate without taking a refresher course. Can you
Transportation Minister Grant Shapps said he was already seeing a drop in demand at gas stations as the public responded to the message not to buy fuel unnecessarily.
“Even though the current network of tanker drivers is able to deliver all the fuel we need – we have taken the extra step to help the military bridge the gap, while new HGV drivers come on stream thanks to all the other measures we have taken. Already taken,” he said.
This story has been published without modification in text from a wire agency feed. Only the title has been changed.
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