Just 127 fuel drivers apply for short-term visa scheme

Just 127 overseas drivers have applied for the UK’s temporary visa scheme for fuel drivers, the Prime minister has said today.

300 immediate visas for foreign tanker drivers are currently being offered by the government with the aim of tackling fuel supply issues which have meant many forecourts have run dry.

In an interview with BBC Breakfast this morning, he said the small number of applications was a “fascinating illustration of the problem” which he emphasised as an international one.

According to 2020 data compiled by Transport Intelligence, Poland currently faces a shortage of 124,000 drivers, while Germany is missing between 45,000 and 60,000.

In an interview with the BBC Radio 4 Today programme this morning, Mr Johnson also said China was experiencing driver shortages. However figures released by the International Road Transport Union in January suggested that China was one of the least affected by driver shortages in 2020 with only 4% of driving jobs open.

A further 4,700 temporary visas are being offered to foreign food lorry drivers to surmount further supply chain problems, and it is not yet known how many applicants this initiative has received.

Mr Johnson also suggested that lack of investment in training and a reliance on low-cost foreign labour had meant a lack of new people entering industries such as haulage, and have emphasised that immigration is not a long-term solution to the issue.

The UK is currently facing a shortage of 90,000 HGV drivers, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, outmigration due to Brexit and the failure of young workers to replace retirees.