Boris Johnson to ‘let 5,000 European lorry drivers in to Britain’ to ease nation’s HGV crisis
LORRY drivers from Europe are to be allowed into the UK in a bid to ease the nation’s HGV crisis, it was reported.
Boris Johnson is believed to be set to approve a plan for 5000 of the drivers to be allowed to work in the UK, amid panic buying of fuel as shortages begin to bite.
The plans will also see military driving examiners brought in to increase the number of HGV tests so more British drivers can get on the road.
A lack of foreign workers coming to Britain during Covid has exacerbated the country's HGV shortage, although it is a global problem.
No 10 insisted on Friday night that any measures introduced would be short term.
A Downing Street spokesman said: “Like countries around the world we are suffering from a temporary Covid-related shortage of drivers needed to move supplies around the country.
"We're looking at temporary measures to avoid any immediate problems, but any measures we introduce will be very strictly time-limited.”
Earlier Transport Secretary Grant Shapps earlier promised to "move heaven and earth" to get the situation solved.
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He made a rallying cry for ex-HGV drivers to plug the desperate shortage that's affecting deliveries to petrol stations across Britain.
The minister wants to lure former drivers back into the sector with the promise of higher pay, with some firms offering £1,000 golden hellos.
On Friday morning, queues started to form outside some filling stations in the UK as panic buying set in.
EG Group, which owns 400 service stations in Britain, imposed a £30 limit on fuel purchases last night in an attempt to stop panic buying.
BP and Esso have both closed a number of forecourts due to the choke in the supply chain - with BP forced to ration.
Around one in six adults in Britain said they were not able to buy essential food items at some point during the past two weeks due to products not being available, new figures show.
As well as the immediate threat to fuel supplies and lack of availability of food, there have also been warnings that Christmas could be hit.
Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said: "Currently, the UK faces a shortfall of around 90,000 HGV drivers and it is consumers who ultimately suffer the consequences.
"Unless a solution can be found in the next 10 days, it is inevitable that we will see significant disruption in the run-up to Christmas."
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