About 200 military personnel are being trained at haulier sites, 100 of whom are military tanker drivers who will start delivering fuel to forecourts across the country from Monday, the Cabinet Office said.
Ministers said the mobilisation of troops as part of Operation Escalin would help “fill in any critical vacancies and help keep the country on the move” ahead of Christmas.
Last night’s announcement came after Sir Keir Starmer warned that Boris Johnson’s failure to “get a grip” of the HGV driver shortage is threatening to ruin the festive season.
Thousands of petrol stations have reported shortages of fuel this week as motorists embarked on a panic buying frenzy across much of the UK.
The Cabinet Office said demand for fuel has stabilised throughout the week and that more fuel is being delivered to petrol stations than is being sold. It added that some parts of the country still face “challenges” in keeping up with the demand.
This story is from the October 02, 2021 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the October 02, 2021 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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