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       Brexit ‘part of the solution’ to lorry driver shortage, says Grant Shapps

       Motorists should “carry on as normal”, Grant Shapps has said, after BP, Tesco and Esso warned of fuel shortages at some of their petrol stations as a result of the HGV driver shortage.

       The transport secretary insisted he would “move heaven and Earth” to ease the supply chain crisis and did not rule out deploying the army to forecourts or relaxing visa rules to ease the shortage of drivers, which the Road Haulage Association said amounted to 100,000 and was exacerbated by Brexit, the coronavirus pandemic and problems with pay and conditions.

       The trade body’s chief Rod McKenzie accused ministers of “government by inertia”, allowing the situation to get “gradually worse” in recent months, while BP’s head of UK retail Hanna Hofer said it was important the government understood the “urgency of the situation”.

       Recommended Brexit ‘part of the solution’ to lorry driver shortage, claims minister BP and Esso petrol stations closed as lorry driver shortage hits UK 1.5 million households caught up in gas supply crisis as suppliers Avro Energy and Green cease trading

       Key Points Military could be drafted in to drive HGVs Motorists should ‘carry on as normal', Shapps says BP, Esso announce problems at forecourts

       Show latest update 1632472978 Comparisons drawn with fuel blockade of autumn 2000

       The situation “looks like a tougher challenge” for officials than during the fuel blockade of autumn 2000, a Gordon Brown-era Downing Street adviser has suggested.

       While the Labour government of the day was able to focus on tackling the clear cause of the disruption – protests in response to rising fuel costs and ministers’ refusal to rule out a cut in fuel duties – the current crisis appears far more complex.

       Andy Gregory 24 September 2021 09:42

       1632471894 Coventry petrol station owner reports panic buying

       Paul Cheema, the owner of a petrol station in Coventry’s Tile Hill area, has told Good Morning Britain that “already this morning we’ve seen panic buying”, after running out of unleaded fuel at 5:30pm yesterday.

       “We’ve had to switch off the diesel lane already because people have gone crazy, when there’s really no need to panic buy because there’s plenty of fuel there, we just need drivers,” Mr Cheema said.

       “As soon as the yellow cover goes on the nozzles, the customer’s driving straight past. We’re also losing that income inside the store.”

       Andy Gregory 24 September 2021 09:24

       1632470856 Brexit ‘part of the solution’ to lorry driver shortage, claims minister

       Grant Shapps has denied that Brexit is part of the problem behind the shortage of lorry drivers – arguing that Britain’s divorce from the EU had presented solutions to the crisis.

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       Brexit ‘part of the solution’ to lorry driver shortage, says Grant Shapps

       My colleague Adam Forrest has the full story here:

       Brexit ‘part of the solution’ to lorry driver shortage, claims minister People who says Brexit to blame ‘are wrong’, says transport secretary Grant Shapps

       Andy Gregory 24 September 2021 09:07

       1632470470 What is Operation Escalin?

       Ministers have discussed putting soldiers on standby to drive petrol tankers, in plans only to be enacted if the situation deteriorates significantly, The Times reported.

       These contingency plans, known as Operation Escalin, were set up prior to Brexit, and planned for 1,600 soldiers to be drafted in to drive 80 military fuel tankers to keep fuel flowing to forecourt in the event of no deal, according to The Guardian.

       Andy Gregory 24 September 2021 09:01

       1632470072 Minister doesn’t rule out bringing in military or relaxing visa rules

       Grant Shapps has said he will move “heaven and Earth” to fix the supply chain crisis – including considering bringing in the military and easing visa rules for HGV drivers.

       “I'll do anything which actually helps,” the transport secretary told the BBC’s Today programme. “The big query actually is where is the blockage? What we do know is that there are a lot of people who have their HGV licences but many of which will have lapsed to come out of the market, often because there has been cheaper European labour. We want to get those people back in.”

       He added: “With regard to things like whether there's a role for military, obviously, if there is, if that actually helps we'll bring them in.”

       But Mr Shapps said that changing visa rules to allow foreign drivers in would not necessarily help solve the problem.

       “What I don't want to do and I've been hinting at this, is undercut with, as has happened before, cheaper European drivers, and then find our drivers drop out,” he said.

       Andy Gregory 24 September 2021 08:54

       1632469602 Motorists should ‘carry on as normal’, Shapps says

       Grant Shapps has said motorists should “carry on as normal” and that the issue should “smooth out fairly quickly”.

       “The advice would be to carry on as normal, and that is what BP is saying as well,” the transport secretary told Sky News.

       “They describe it on the average day that they have a handful of petrol stations that they had to close out of twelve or thirteen hundred.

       “The problem is not new. There has been a lack of drivers for many months through this pandemic because during the lockdown drivers couldn't be passed through their lorry HGV tests, and that is what has led to this problem.

       “But many more tests are being made available now, so we should see it smooth out fairly quickly.”

       Andy Gregory 24 September 2021 08:46

       1632469345

       Some of the UK’s biggest petrol station operators have warned of a shortage of fuel at the forecourt, with BP forced to close a number of stations and ExxonMobil saying a “small number” of its Esso petrol forecourts have also been affected.

       Hoyer, one of the UK’s largest fuel logistics companies, has revealed it is struggling to meet deliveries for a host of clients including BP, Esso and Shell due to driver shortages.

       BP‘s head of UK retail, Hanna Hofer, described the situation as “bad, very bad” and warned the government it was important they grasp the “urgency of the situation”. Ms Hofer said the company had “two-thirds of normal forecourt stock levels required for smooth operations” and told ITV News the level is “declining rapidly”.

       Under emergency plans, BP will provide 80 per cent of its normal service levels to nine in 10 of its petrol stations, meaning that a range of locations will not be restocked for one and a half days each week.

       My colleagues Anna Isaac and Joe Middleton have more details here:

       BP and Esso petrol stations closed as lorry driver shortage hits UK BP and Esso petrol stations closed as lorry driver shortage hits UK

       Andy Gregory 24 September 2021 08:42

       1632468895

       Good morning, we’ll be using this liveblog to provide rolling updates on the supply chain crisis which has seen some petrol stations across the country forced to close.

       Andy Gregory 24 September 2021 08:34

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