Gas stations in United Kingdom run dry as trucker shortage sparks panic-buying

LONDON — Thousands of British gas stations have run dry, as motorists scrambled to fill up amid a supply disruption due to a shortage of truck drivers.

Long lines of vehicles formed at many gas stations over the weekend, and tempers frayed as some drivers waited for hours.

The Petrol Retailers Association, which represents almost 5,500 independent outlets, said about two-thirds of its members were reporting that they had sold out their fuel.

The haulage industry says the U.K. is short tens of thousands of truckers, and the problem has contributed to empty supermarket shelves and shuttered gas pumps.

The BBC reports that the shortage has been amplified by Britons who are panic-buying fuel. The news outlet says that lines are stretching for “miles” outside of gas stations across the country.

The U.K.’s Conservative government says it will issue thousands of emergency visas to foreign truck drivers to try to ease the crisis.

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