Bur Michael Holden
LONDON (Reuters) – The British government said it would put its armed forces on alert as part of additional measures to tackle a supply chain crisis that has left gas pumps dry after a wave of panic that fueled driver consumption. .
The move to mobilize the military comes after a widespread shortage of truck drivers, which has meant that fuel supplies have yet to reach gas stations and has led to serious supply problems for retailers and restaurants in recent months.
Last weekend’s fuel shortage alert led to a run-down at stations, with long lines of cars waiting for hours to refuel, leading to cities across the UK running out of gas.
The government had already announced plans to issue temporary visas to 5,000 foreign truck drivers, suspend competition laws, and lure former drivers back into the sector, as part of a deal to deal with a labor shortage.
The British government said it will put a limited number of truck drivers on standby so they can be deployed if needed.
“Although the sector expects demand to return to normal levels in the coming days, we will certainly take this sensitive precautionary measure,” Business Minister Kwasi Kwarting said in a statement late Monday.
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