Some personnel of the British army will be seen driving fuel trucks to petrol stations within the next couple of days, a government minister said on Wednesday.
Around 150 military drivers are ready to take the temporary assignment in government’s bid to curb the fuel delivery problem, which has brought to country to a chaotic state within days, according to Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng.
Speaking to the BBC, Kwarteng underlined that the ongoing petrol crisis had been "difficult" but it is stabilizing and troops will drive fuel tankers "in the next couple of days."
- I can confirm the government's Reserve Tanker Fleet will be on the road this afternoon to boost deliveries of fuel to forecourts across Britain - he later tweeted.
- The trucks are driven by civilians and will provide additional logistical capacity to the fuel industry - he added.
Signs are suggesting that “the situation at the pumps has begun to improve with more stations getting more fuel - Kwarteng said.
- The sooner we can all return to our normal buying habits, the sooner the situation will return to normal - he said, urging people to stop panic buying.
Motorists across the UK have been forming long queues in front of petrol stations after some retailers revealed that their logistics failed to provide fuel for more than a week.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday said the situation was "stabilizing." The government is also planning to issue around 5,000 emergency visas for foreign lorry drivers to overcome the delivery issues in the run-up to festive season.