UK: ‘Criminals can drive trucks’ – economy and work

In the fight against the acute shortage of truck drivers in Great Britain, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Dominic Raab made an unusual proposal. “So far, we’ve allowed prisoners and criminals to work on a voluntary basis and without pay,” says Raab. “Why not let them do paid work when there are bottlenecks, if it’s good for the economy and society?”

It is estimated that the UK is currently short on over 100,000 truck drivers. This creates major problems, particularly at UK gas stations. Since not enough tankers could bring in fuel immediately, countless filling stations had been left on dry land in the past few days. Even supermarkets are already suffering from a shortage of some products.

After the British government called on residents not to panic buying, the situation worsened: there were long queues in front of those gas stations that still had stocks of gasoline and diesel. Yesterday, Economy Minister Kwasi Kwarting announced faster visas for foreign truck drivers and soldiers who drive trucks. This would solve the supply problem in Great Britain. The shortage of truck drivers is considered a consequence of Britain’s exit from the European Union.

(dpa/lb)