British drivers expressed frustration on Tuesday as they hunted for hours or sat snarled in queues to fill their tanks after gas stations in major cities ran dry due to a trucker shortage that has prompted the government to put the army on standby. Queues of drivers snaked back from those gas stations that were still serving in major cities, though dozens of forecourts were closed with signs saying they had no gas or diesel, Reuters reporters said.
A post-Brexit shortage of lorry drivers, exacerbated by a halt to truck-driving-license testing during Covid lockdowns, has sown chaos through supply chains, raising the specter of shortages and price rises in the run up to Christmas.
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said a limited number of military tanker drivers had been put on a state of readiness to be deployed to deliver fuel if necessary. They keep saying there is no shortage but I suppose everyone is panicking now,” said Scade who was filling up at a Shell gas station in London. Fights broke out at some English gas stations as drivers jostled for fuel. Medics said health workers should be given priority to fill their cars to keep the health service working.
An air of chaos has gripped the world’s fifth largest economy in recent weeks as the shortage of truckers strained supply chains and a spike in European wholesale natural gas prices tipped energy companies into bankruptcy.
Retailers, truckers and logistics companies have warned that prices for everything from energy to Christmas gifts will have to rise. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) urged the government to broaden the size and scope of the scheme to attract the truckers needed to keep Christmas supplies on track.
“To avoid disappointment for millions of households during the festive season we urge the government to rapidly extend this program, both in size and scope, to HGV drivers in all sectors of the retail industry,” Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the BRC, said. It will take many months before there are enough new British drivers to cover the shortfall.
Source: nbcnews
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