Johnson to consider using army as UK's petrol pumps run dry

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to consider using the army to supply the country’s petrol stations running dry because of panic buying and a shortage of drivers.

Under an emergency plan expected to be considered by Johnson on Monday, hundreds of soldiers could be scrambled to deliver fuel to petrol stations.

Johnson will meet with senior members of the cabinet to scrutinize “Operation Escalin” after emergency measures were triggered on Sunday evening.

Several petrol stations have closed as their ability to transport fuel from refineries was hit by an industry-wide shortage of truck drivers, which has also paralyzed some of the country’s vital supply chains.

BP acknowledged that a third of its petrol stations had run out of the main two grades of fuel. “We are experiencing some fuel supply issues at some of our retail sites in the UK and unfortunately have therefore seen a handful of sites temporarily close due to a lack of both unleaded and diesel grades,” the company said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), which represents nearly 5,500 independent outlets, admitted 50% to 90% of its members had reported running out. It also said that the rest would soon follow.

There are growing fears now that the UK could be heading into a second “winter of discontent” with shelves expected to be emptier than usual in the run-up to Christmas.

On Sunday, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Home Secretary Priti Patel met to discuss options including Operation Escalin.

ME