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Fuel supply: Army put on standby to ease pressure on petrol stations Petrol supply: Army put on standby to ease fuel crisis
(about 4 hours later)
There were queues at many petrol stations on Monday, including in Friern Barnet, north LondonThere were queues at many petrol stations on Monday, including in Friern Barnet, north London
The Army has been put on standby to help ease pressure on petrol stations and deliver fuel after days of long queues and pump closures. The Army is ready to help ease fuel supply problems after a fourth day of long queues and pump closures.
Military tanker drivers will be trained so they are ready to be deployed if necessary, the government said. Up to 150 military tanker drivers will be trained up and deployed if required.
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng described it as a "sensible, precautionary step", saying the UK had strong supplies of fuel. Many people went to fill up at petrol stations amid fears a shortage of lorry drivers would hit fuel supply - which remains plentiful at refineries.
Fuel suppliers say they expect demand to return to normal in the coming days. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: "We are starting to see panic buying moderate with more grades of fuel available at more petrol stations."
But motoring group the RAC say the price of a litre of unleaded petrol has risen by a penny since Friday and it is aware of a small number of retailers taking advantage of the current situation by hiking prices. The UK is estimated to be short of more than 100,000 lorry drivers - causing problems for a range of industries, including food suppliers and supermarkets, in recent months.
Ministers have blamed queues at petrol stations and empty pumps on people buying fuel when they do not need it. Ministers have blamed scenes of queues at petrol stations and pumps running dry on people buying fuel when they do not need it.
Many drivers rushed to petrol stations amid fears a shortage of lorry drivers would hit fuel supplies. Motoring group the RAC said the price of a litre of unleaded petrol has risen by a penny since Friday - and that it was aware a small number of retailers were hiking prices amid the soaring demand.
Meanwhile, there are mounting calls for key workers, like health and social care staff, to receive priority access to fuel where it is available.
Why are there long queues for petrol in the UK?Why are there long queues for petrol in the UK?
'I'm at an Airbnb this week to avoid fuel queues''I'm at an Airbnb this week to avoid fuel queues'
UK visa plan will not fix lorry crisis, says bossUK visa plan will not fix lorry crisis, says boss
Police warning after 100 calls over fuel queues Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said the move to place the Army on standby - meaning it is ready to respond to any request for support - was a "sensible, precautionary step".
Mr Kwarteng said: "We are aware of supply chain issues at fuel station forecourts and are taking steps to ease these as a matter of priority. "If required, the deployment of military personnel will provide the supply chain with additional capacity as a temporary measure to help ease pressures caused by spikes in localised demand for fuel," he added.
"If required, the deployment of military personnel will provide the supply chain with additional capacity as a temporary measure to help ease pressures caused by spikes in localised demand for fuel." The BBC's deputy political editor Vicki Young said she has been told an initial 75 military drivers would be on standby, with up to 150, and the same number of support staff, available if needed.
The government has also authorised an extension to ADR driver licenses - which allow drivers to transport goods such as fuel. Licences due to expire between 27 September and 31 December will have their validity extended until 31 January 2022 without the driver having to undertake the usual refresher training or pass an exam. They require specialised training which takes up to five days, she said.
The government said the change would provide "immediate relief" to the shortage of fuel drivers by allowing those affected to stay on the roads. It is hoped that with many cars now holding more fuel than usual, demand will return to normal levels soon
Key workers and essential trips affected by panic buying The government has also authorised an extension to special driver licences that allow drivers to transport goods such as fuel.
Earlier, a group of leading fuel suppliers, including BP and Shell, said there was plenty of fuel at UK refineries. ADR licences due to expire between 27 September and 31 December will have their validity extended until 31 January 2022, without refresher training or exams.
Labour said the latest response to the fuel crisis was "an admission of failure" and that asking the Army to step up was "a sticking plaster".
Leading fuel suppliers, including BP and Shell, have sought to reassure the public that supplies remain unaffected at source - with pressures expected to ease shortly.
"As many cars are now holding more fuel than usual, we expect that demand will return to its normal levels in the coming days, easing pressures on fuel station forecourts," they said in a joint statement."As many cars are now holding more fuel than usual, we expect that demand will return to its normal levels in the coming days, easing pressures on fuel station forecourts," they said in a joint statement.
Prioritise key workers Key workers and essential trips affected by panic buying
Brian Madderson, chairman of the Petrol Retailers Association, said the industry had problems with a shortage of HGV drivers but it only became a "critical situation" when a submission by BP to the cabinet was leaked, sparking widespread coverage and panic buying. Doctors, nurses, prison staff unions and care staff have called for essential workers to be given priority for fuel.
The shortage of lorry drivers has caused problems for a range of industries in recent months, from supermarkets to fast food chains.
Meanwhile, doctors and home care staff have called for essential workers to be given priority for fuel.
The UK Homecare Association said people had been left waiting for carers at home because staff had been caught in queues for petrol.The UK Homecare Association said people had been left waiting for carers at home because staff had been caught in queues for petrol.
However, ambulances have their own fuel pumps in their depots and their supplies are expected to be prioritised. Unison called on ministers to use emergency powers to "designate fuel stations for the sole use of key workers".
Some ambulance trusts have their own fuel pumps in their depots and their supplies are expected to be prioritised - but essential workers can still be caught out.
One ambulance driver in north London told the BBC he had visited several filling stations in his search for fuel.
"I had zero tank, I was on my reserve, the light was on, it was getting chaotic, my heart rate was going through the sky," he said, after finally buying fuel in Brent Cross.
Carol Curry, who needed fuel to drive her husband to a hospital appointment, said she blamed the media for frenzied scenes at the pumps.
"If nobody had said about this, the lorry drivers and everything, then this panic wouldn't have started," she said.
More on the lorry driver shortageMore on the lorry driver shortage
How serious is the HGV driver shortage?How serious is the HGV driver shortage?
50,000 more lorry driver tests promised a year50,000 more lorry driver tests promised a year
Temporary visa plan to ease lorry driver shortageTemporary visa plan to ease lorry driver shortage
Visas won't solve petrol supply issues - retailersVisas won't solve petrol supply issues - retailers
The government has temporarily exempted fuel companies from competition law, as part of "long-standing" contingency plans to maintain supplies, allowing them to target supplies at areas most in need. The government has temporarily exempted fuel companies from competition law,, allowing them to work together to target supplies at areas most in need.
It has also announced temporary visas, lasting until Christmas Eve, for 5,000 foreign fuel tanker and food lorry drivers and 5,500 poultry workers in a bid to limit disruption in the build-up to Christmas. Temporary visas, lasting until Christmas Eve, for 5,000 foreign fuel tanker and food lorry drivers and 5,500 poultry workers have also been announced.
Other measures include sending nearly a million letters to drivers who hold an HGV licence, to encourage them back into the industry, and plans to train 4,000 people to become HGV drivers. But Richard Walker, the managing director of supermarket Iceland, told BBC Two's Newsnight the visas would not begin until mid-October, adding: "I don't know who would give up a full-time job in Europe for a matter of weeks."
Factors including Brexit, Covid, pay levels and an aging workforce have all contributed to a shortage of lorry drivers. Nearly one million drivers qualified to drive heavy goods vehicles are being encouraged to rejoin the sector, and some 3,000 new recruits are expected to undertake short, intensive driving courses.
After the UK left the EU, many European drivers went back to their home countries, or decided to work elsewhere because of the additional border bureaucracy and the impact it had on their income. Factors including Brexit, the pandemic, pay levels and an aging workforce have all contributed to a shortage of lorry drivers.
The pandemic also prompted many foreign drivers to return home and led to a huge backlog in HGV driver tests. After the UK left the European Union, many European drivers went back to their home countries, or decided to work elsewhere because of the additional border bureaucracy and the impact it had on their income.
A survey from earlier this year suggests a number of reasons for the driver shortage The pandemic also prompted many foreign drivers to return home and led to a huge backlog in HGV driver exams. Driver shortages have also been seen in EU countries, including Germany and Poland.
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