Fuel scarcity in UK: UK temporary visa scheme for foreign lorry drivers go extend till March

UK wan issue temporary visas to 300 overseas fuel drivers "immediately", di goment don announce am.

Under di ogbonge scheme, di foreign drivers go dey able to work for UK from now until di end of March.

Additionally, dem dey plan to give 4,700 visas for foreign food haulage drivers and dem go extend am by two months, e go last from late October to di end of February.

But di government say temporary visas no be long-term solution and beg companies to invest for UK workforce.

Ministers don also extend di length of temporary visas dem issue to 5,500 foreign poultry workers, sake of fear of shortage of Christmas turkeys for supermarket shelves.

Before, di goment say dis temporary visas go last until Christmas Eve, but dem don extend di visa by one week, and e go now dey valid until 31 December.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer don call on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to recall Parliament from party conference recess, and e tok say dem need "emergency action".

But Oga Johnson say di UK supply chain go "recover quickly".

Dem bin originally announce di temporary visa scheme for 5,000 foreign lorry drivers one week ago wen di ongoing driver shortage first start dey stop fuel deliveries to petrol stations around di UK.

On Friday, di Petrol Retailers Association say fuel supply still be "big problem" for south-east England - and "if anything e don worse".

From Monday, 200 military servicemen and women, 100 of dem drivers, go provide "temporary" support to ease pressure on forecourts, wia queues don becoming normal thing and customers dey para.

Some of di 200 go dey road dis weekend. Afta dem don complete specialised training over di past three days, and regular tanker drivers go follow dem on dia deliveries.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid say "enough fuel dey di kontri and e don always be been" but it had been a challenge to provide the number of drivers required.

Di foreign drivers wey dey eligible for visas no go dey limited to di EU, but di expectation be say most of di drivers go come from Europe.

Lorry drivers say said some of di conditions dem dey face for di job no dey allow younger pipo wan apply for di work- di average age of drivers for di Uk na 55.

In addition to offering temporary visas, di gonment bin announce wey dem wan limit fuel palava before Christmas and beyond.

Why UK dey find lorry drivers?

Di shortage of drivers no dey make fuel deliveries go well, plus some petrol stations don close down, and queues dey form.

Di Road Haulage Association estimates say di UK dey short of about 100,000 HGV drivers - and di pandemic plus di Brexit move don make di shortage worse.

Di government and industry leaders don reassure the public - say fuel shortage no dey for refineries, and ask pipo make dem no dey do panic buying.

But di shortage of drivers don threaten more disruption to deliveries of petrol, food and oda goods.

Di European Road Haulers Association say temporary visas go be "good idea" but na "only part of di solution".

Di association say e go dey easier to drive within di EU dan driving between di EU and di UK.

Dis one mean say to stay for di EU go dey more appealing for drivers.