The Government has announced a temporary extension to lorry drivers’ hours amid a shortage of workers.
The decision was announced in a tweet from a minister in the Department for Transport.
Baroness Charlotte Vere, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the DfT, tweeted: “We’re temporarily extending drivers’ hours rules from Mon 12 July to allow HGV drivers to make slightly longer journeys where necessary, as we’re aware of a current shortage of drivers.
“Driver safety must not be compromised & operators must notify DfT if this relaxation is used.”
Businesses and union officials have been warning of a shortage of lorry drivers which threatens deliveries to supermarkets and other sectors of the economy.
In a letter sent to Boris Johnson on June 23, the industry called for his intervention to allow access to European labour, asking the Prime Minister to introduce temporary worker visas for HGV drivers, adding them to a "shortage occupation list".
According to the Mirror, insiders said the disruption means shops in the country could face gaps on shelves within weeks.
Richard Burnett, the chief executive of the Road Haulage Association, which coordinated the letter, said: "Supermarkets are already reporting that they are not receiving their expected food stocks and, as a result, there is considerable wastage."
The British Retail Consortium denied shelves could be left empty but admitted a degree of “minor disruption” to some supply chains.
It said in a statement: “Supermarkets are working closely with their suppliers to ensure that consumers still have access to the same great selection of goods.”
