Government of the United Kingdom says the Military will start delivering petrol to garages from Monday.
Gatekeepers News reports that the UK government has announced that Armed forces personnel will be deployed to transport fuel from Monday, while visa restrictions on overseas HGV drivers and poultry workers will be relaxed in an attempt to address the country’s growing supply-chain crisis.
According to the UK government, almost 200 servicemen and women, 100 of the drivers, will provide “temporary” support to ease pressure on stations.
The government added that up to 300 overseas fuel tanker drivers will be able to work in the UK immediately until the end of March 2021.
Gatekeepers News earlier reported that there have been long queues at petrol stations after a shortage of drivers disrupted fuel deliveries.
Meanwhile, the UK government has maintained that there is enough fuel if people buy at their normal rates, adding that the situation at petrol station forecourts is improving, with more fuel now being delivered than sold.
The government, however, acknowledged that some parts of the country are worse affected than others.
Brian Madderson, Chairman of the Petrol Retailers Association which represents nearly 5,500 of the UK’s 8,300 petrol stations said Scotland, the north of England, and parts of the Midlands had seen a “distinct improvement” with fewer dry sites.
Madderson told BBC Radio that it has remained a “big problem” in London and southeast England, where “if anything it had got worse.”
According to him, the military drivers will be a “large help” but a “prioritisation of deliveries to filling stations, particularly the independent ones, which are the neighbourhood sites” was needed “immediately”.
He warned that drivers would see a rise in fuel prices next week, but because of “global factors” not because of profiteering.
Meanwhile, the RAC motoring group also admitted that the disruption in deliveries was continuing to ease, though many areas were still experiencing supply issues.
According to RAC, smaller fuel stations were facing major supply problems as drivers filled up for the weekend.
On Friday, the Ministry of Defence said Military personnel are currently training at haulier sites and will be on the road delivering fuel supplies across the country to “help fuel stocks further improve” from Monday.
The Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace said personnel have been seen working alongside drivers this weekend following training this week.
Aside the 300 fuel tanker drivers being allowed to work temporarily in the UK, temporary visas were also being offered to 4,700 food haulage drivers who are able to arrive from late October and leave by February 28, 2022.
Also, visas are being offered to a further 5,500 poultry workers who can come from late October and stay until December 31.
The government previously announced that these temporary visas would last until Christmas Eve.
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said there were “continued signs that the situation at the pumps is slowly improving”.
Kwarteng said, “UK forecourt stock levels are trending up, deliveries of fuel to forecourts are above normal levels, and fuel demand is stabilising.
“It’s important to stress there is no national shortage of fuel in the UK, and people should continue to buy fuel as normal.”
