A lack of truck drivers began to hit some fueling stations earlier this week, and lines of vehicles formed at stations over the weekend as some motorists waited for hours to fill up with fuel.
Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A, RDS.B) also says it has seen heavy demand across its network, which has caused some stations to run low on some grades.
The government said today it would issue temporary visas for 5,000 foreign truck drivers, but business leaders say it is not enough to solve a labor shortage that risks major disruption beyond fuel deliveries, including for retailers ahead of the Christmas season.
The government also temporarily suspended competition rules to allow companies to coordinate fuel supplies to the most affected regions.