UK Government Considering Calling Army To Supply Gas

LONDON : The UK government is considering drafting hundreds of soldiers to man tanker trucks to gas stations that have run out of fuel because of panic buying and shortage of drivers, the British media reported on Monday.

According to The Times and other newspapers, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to meet with senior members of his cabinet later on Monday to discuss the implementation of ‘Operation Escalin’, which was first conceived during the planning for a no-deal Brexit.

Panic buying started on September 23, after energy company British Petroleum announced that tens of forecourts in its 1,200-strong network were experiencing fuel shortages,while Tesco and Esso said some of their sites were also affected due to a shortage in tanker drivers.

Over the weekend, after more gas stations ran out of supply, the government said it would introduce over 10,000 temporary visas to truck drivers and poultry workers to solve the issue with the supply chain.