With some gas stations closed, Britain vows to solve trucker shortage

With some gas stations closed, Britain vows to solve trucker shortage

LONDON - Britain on Friday vowed to do whatever it takes to resolve a trucker shortage that has closed petrol stations and strained supermarket supply chains to breaking point but the haulage industry cautioned that there were no quick fixes. Just as the world's fifth largest economy emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, a spike in European wholesale natural gas prices and a post-Brexit shortage of truck drivers has closed some petrol stations and raised fears of a food supply crunch. BP BP.L temporarily closed some of its 1,200 UK petrol stations due to a lack of both unleaded and diesel grades, which it blamed on driver shortages. ExxonMobil's Esso said a small number of its 200 Tesco Alliance retail sites had also been impacted. For months supermarkets and farmers have warned that a shortage of truck drivers was straining supply chains to breaking point - making it harder to get goods to market. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said there was a global shortage of truckers after COVID halted lorry driver testing so Britain was doubling the number of tests. Asked if the government would ease visa rules, he said the government would look at all options. "We'll do whatever it