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Britain puts army on standby as fuel crisis still ongoing

The Channel News Asia reported, Britain on Monday (Sep 27) put the army on standby to help with the ongoing fuel crisis as fears over tanker driver shortages led to panic buying, leaving many of the country's pumps dry.
The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy said in a statement issued late on Monday: "Limited number of military tanker drivers to be put on a state of readiness and deployed if necessary to further stabilise fuel supply chain."
The CNA said that desperate motorists queued up at fuel pumps across Britain, draining tanks, fraying tempers and prompting calls for the government to use emergency powers to give priority access to healthcare and other essential workers.
The government says a lack of tanker drivers to deliver fuel and unprecedented demand is behind the crisis.

The military drivers will receive specialised training before deploying if the crisis does not ease in the coming days.
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: "While the fuel industry expects demand will return to its normal levels in the coming days, it's right that we take this sensible, precautionary step."
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He added, "If required, the deployment of military personnel will provide the supply chain with additional capacity as a temporary measure to help ease pressures caused by spikes in localised demand for fuel."
According to the CNA, the government has already made a drastic U-turn on tighter post-Brexit immigration policy, offering short-term visa waivers to foreign truckers to help plug the shortfall.
Fuel operators, including Shell, BP and Esso, said there was "plenty of fuel at UK refineries" and expected demand to return to normal levels in days, easing pressure.
They added in a joint statement: "We would encourage everyone to buy fuel as they usually would."
But long queues were seen outside filling stations, even overnight, frustrating drivers and stoking concern about the effects on the wider economy.
One driver, David Hart, told AFP as he queued at a garage in London after a fruitless search at the weekend: "People are desperate. If I don't get petrol now, I can't get work anymore."
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Britain's biggest public sector union, Unison, said key workers, including doctors, nurses, teachers and police staff, should be given priority access rather than having to wait in line.
"The government could solve this problem now by using emergency powers to designate fuel stations for the sole use of key workers," said general secretary Christina McAnea.
Medical bodies have already said some healthcare staff have struggled to get to work, while schools have warned that online teaching could resume if teachers are unable to reach their classrooms.
The Petrol Retailers Association said almost half of the UK's 8,000 fuel pumps had run out of petrol on Sunday, blaming "panic-buying, pure and simple" for the issue.
BREXIT LINK
Critics blame government inaction on tackling shortages of lorry drivers after Britain's departure from the European Union in January and the pandemic, which saw many foreign truckers leave the country.
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As well as fuel deliveries, the shortage has led to empty supermarket shelves and raised fears about deliveries of food and toys for Christmas.
Germany's weekend election winner Olaf Scholz linked the problems directly to Brexit and said low wages in the sector could make the job less appealing.
"We worked hard to convince the British not to leave the union," Scholz said.
The situation has evoked the dark days of the 1970s, when energy supply problems led to a three-day working week and fuel rationing in Britain.
It is reminiscent also of late 2000, when people protesting over high fuel prices blockaded oil refineries, bringing the country to a virtual standstill for weeks.
The government called for calm and urged people to buy petrol as normal.
TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE?
The government, which campaigned during Brexit for an end to European free movement, is banking on a short-term visa waiver to plug the gap in drivers, which it says is a Europe-wide problem.
Read more: UK government suspends competition law to get petrol to forecourts
It said on Saturday it will issue up to 10,500 temporary work visas from next month to Dec 24 to lorry drivers and poultry workers to ease chronic staff shortages.
The head of the British Poultry Council, Richard Griffiths, welcomed the move but warned it could be too little, too late to avert food shortages.
"Supply chains are not something that can be simply switched on and off, so plans for production are already well under way and the necessary cutbacks due to ongoing labour shortages have already been made," he added.
Source: cna
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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