London, UK: The 5,000 temporary visas for EU for drivers, announced by the government four days ago, will not be for three months as initially said but for two months, according to the government.
Elizabeth de Jong, director of policy, Logistics UK said: “The three month visa was much lower than the six months we had requested to enable additional testing capacity to be delivered by DVSA and more drivers to be trained.
“Our fear is that it is very unlikely that a two month visa will attract EU drivers which would make the scheme impotent. We are seeking urgent clarification from the government on this issue.”
The continuing fall in the pound against the Euro makes working in Britain less attractive than EU states for EU nationals intending to remit money home.
The new limit on driver visa duration comes as more businesses are warning of staff shortages in warehouse and logistics operations. For some companies, nearly half their forklift truck drivers came from EU countries and have since returned.
