The government said it would issue 5000 three-month visas for truck drivers starting in October, and another 5500 for poultry workers. But it stuck to its insistence that in the long term British workers should be trained to take the driving jobs, and transportation companies must improve their pay and working conditions to keep them.
“After a very difficult 18 months, I know how important this Christmas is for all of us, and that’s why we’re taking these steps at the earliest opportunity to ensure preparations remain on track,” Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said.
But he added that British firms “must also play their part with working conditions continuing to improve and the deserved salary increases continuing to be maintained in order for companies to retain new drivers”.
‘Brexit hangover’
One cause of the trucker shortage is a backlog caused by the suspension of driver testing for months during Britain’s coronavirus lockdowns. The government has already increased testing capacity, as well as extending the number of hours that drivers can work each week, prompting safety concerns.
The government said military driving examiners would be pulled in to further boost civilian testing capacity.
The government says Britain was not short of fuel, but that has not stopped motorists from forming lines at gas stations to fill up just in case.
Sporadic supply chain issues at supermarkets and other shops starting several weeks ago also were attributed to a lack of delivery drivers.
BP and Esso shut a handful of gas stations in Britain last week because there were not enough truckers to get gas to the pumps. EG Group, which operates about 400 British petrol stations, said it was limiting purchases to £30 ($56.50).
In a statement, the government said Britain had “ample fuel stocks”.
“But like countries around the world, we are suffering from a temporary COVID-related shortage of drivers needed to move supplies around the country,” it said, not…