LONDON, Sept. 28 (BNA) Thousands of British gas stations dried up on Sunday as motorists scrambled to fill up amid supply disruptions due to a shortage of truck drivers, an industry group said.
The Gasoline Retailers Association, which represents nearly 5,500 independent outlets, said about two-thirds of its members reported they had sold their fuel, with the rest “partly drying up and quickly running out”.
Long queues of vehicles formed at many gas stations over the weekend, and nerves were frayed as some drivers waited for hours, the Associated Press reported.
Police were called to a gas station in London on Sunday after a brawl broke out. Police said a man was arrested on suspicion of assault.
The transport industry says the UK is short of tens of thousands of truck drivers, due to a perfect storm of factors including the coronavirus pandemic, an aging workforce and an exodus of foreign workers after Brexit last year.
Many countries, including the United States and Germany, have a shortage of truck drivers. The problem was particularly pronounced in Britain, where it contributed to the emptying of supermarket shelves and the shutdown of gas pumps.
After weeks of mounting pressure, the UK’s Conservative government announced on Saturday that it would issue thousands of emergency visas to foreign truck drivers to help prevent a Christmas without turkey or toys for many British families.
The government said it would issue 5,000 three-month visas to truck drivers starting in October, and another 5,500 to poultry workers.
Industry groups welcomed the new visa scheme, although the British Retail Consortium said it was “too little, too late”.
Robbie MacGregor-Smith, president of the British Chambers of Commerce, said the announcement was “equivalent to throwing a thimble of water over a fire”.
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