The UK struggles with a widespread fuel shortage, with motorists forced into long queues at petrol stations to refuel or leave their cars dry in the garage.
A crisis generated by the decline in stocks, triggered in turn by a shortage of available truck drivers: the appeal, due to the restrictions and quarantines due to Covid, but also the consequences of Brexit, would in fact lack about 100 thousand drivers. The result: supplies to distributors - as well as those to supermarkets - are suffering problems and inconveniences.
Suffice it to say that the giant BP has closed or reduced the supply of petrol and diesel in about 100 service stations. Other stations of the US Mobil chain have been put out of service, prompting motorists to storm the - few - open distribution points, with endless lines to fill up.
For the London government, however, the situation would not be dramatic, so much so that Transport Minister Grant Shapps has appealed to motorists not to panic, assuring them that there is "plenty of fuel". But, at the same time, as had already happened in recent weeks for supplies to supermarkets, he explained that the executive led by Boris Johnson could use army tankers to guarantee deliveries.
However, the trade unions in the transport sector are on a war footing. Rod McKenzie of the Road Haulage Association, for example, accused London of "inaction" and proposed as a possible solution to guarantee "seasonal visas" for foreign truckers. A ploy to circumvent the strict restrictions on obtaining work permits imposed by the British choice to break away from Europe.
The government of Boris Johnson does not therefore rule out extraordinary measures and would also be ready to make the procedures for training and obtaining the special licenses necessary to drive heavy vehicles more agile.
(Unioneonline / lf)
