With the shortage of truck drivers, the UK needs to ease visa rules

Oh United Kingdom To announce a scheme to issue temporary work visas to lorry drivers with the aim of alleviating the deep labor shortage that has led to the rationing of lorries. Fuel Hundreds of gas stations to fill the tank and in long lines – with pumps drying in places.

In the run-up to Christmas, retailers have warned of serious problems Boris Johnson He said he was considering temporary measures to address the shortage of truck drivers.

Newspapers reported that the government would allow 5,000 foreign drivers to enter the UK on short-term visas, which had been requested for several months by logistics companies and retailers but had previously been rejected by the government.

The United Kingdom Road Transport Association (RHA) said the country needs an additional 100,000 drivers to meet the demand.

The shortage of truck drivers was partly to blame Brexit And for Govit-19Disrupted driving training and testing for about a year.

A spokesman for Johnson’s Downing Street office said: “We are considering temporary measures to avoid immediate problems.

The government declined to provide further details.

Ministers warned against the possibility of panic-stricken people making purchases, and Petroleum They said there was no shortage of supplies and no problems getting fuel to gas stations.