Britain’s driver crisis could be the best chance for the 32-year-old Romanian international truck driver Nicolae to keep his job.
Due to Brexit and the Coronavirus pandemic, truck drivers in Britain left the industry, causing a shortage in the country.
The 100,000 trucker shortage has created chaos as supply chains stopped operating because gas pumps ran dry.
Desperate for a solution, Britain plans on issuing temporary visas to 5,000 foreign truckers to help with the shortage. Read more.
The British government will also use the army to drive tankers.
“The Brits’ offer is attractive,” said Nicolae, a truck driver, who owns three trucks.
Nicolae’s business could be facing pressure due to daily tax drivers in Romania.
“To me, taxing our daily allowance means bankruptcy, because transport-related profits are pretty modest,” he added.
Nicolae along with 100 truck drivers parked on Wednesday outside government buildings in Victoria Square in Bucharest.
The drivers sounded horns in protest of the taxes and high insurance prices, which are obligatory.
Early this year, the Romanian tax watchdog decided to tax the drivers’ daily allowances as other sources of income.
Moreover, it levied taxes on transportation businesses over five years on the allowances.
The ruling Liberal Party revealed on Tuesday a draft bill to remove the back tax.
However, this step might stagger due to Romania’s broken legislation.
Some other drivers, including those who are close to retirement, said the high pay rate in Britain is tempting.
“I have a younger, good friend who wants to work as a trucker in England,” said Gabriel Bazga, a 61-year-old trucker.
“It only takes about one month for all official papers to complete. Payment is very tempting there,” he continued.
He added, “I am also pondering it, as more than 1,000 pounds ($1,368) pay per week looks good.”
