A temporary visa scheme to make it easier for foreign lorry drivers to work in the UK is set to run for three months, ending on Christmas eve, BBC reports.
It is understood about 5,000 visas may be issued, with more details of the scheme set to be announced on Sunday.
A shortage of drivers has disrupted fuel deliveries, with some petrol stations closing, and queues forming.
The government has said there is no fuel shortage at refineries, and urged people not to panic buy.
The foreign drivers eligible for visas will not be limited to the EU, but the expectation is most of the drivers will be from Europe.
There is now a shortage of more than 100,000 drivers in the UK, out of a pre-pandemic total of about 600,000, a Road Haulage Association survey of its member’s estimates.
That number included tens of thousands of drivers from EU member states who were living and working in the UK.
Even before Covid, the estimated shortage was about 60,000 drivers.
Covid is certainly part of it. As travel became increasingly restricted last year, and large parts of the economy shut down, many European drivers went home. And haulage companies say very few have returned.
The pandemic has also created a large backlog in HGV driver tests, so it’s been impossible to get enough new drivers up and running.
The industry said in a letter to the prime minister in June that there were 25,000 fewer candidates passing their test in 2020 than in 2019.
