Travel Chaos: EU lorry drivers furious over delays in Kent
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Since the suspension of P&O Ferries’ services after it sacked off around 800 employees, Kent Police have enacted the Operation Brock traffic management system to manage traffic problems at Dover. However, the failure of Brexit IT systems and the burden of new customs checks have also added to the hold-ups.
Rod McKenzie, head of policy at the Road Haulage Association (RHA), has now noted food producers have warned perishable goods were going bad and losing their value due to the congestion.
According to the expert, some producers are claiming delays were costing their business up to £800 per lorry.
He said: “We cannot keep seeing this. It is expensive and damaging for the economy and reputation of the UK.
“It is time to take decisive action and deal with this long-term problem.”
Shane Brennan, chief executive of the Cold Chain Federation, said Britain had developed a “post-Brexit perception problem” with its port delays.
He told the Financial Times: “Businesses that we want to do business with are increasingly seeing us as too much hassle to deal with and that has to change if we are to recover lost ground.”
Nick Allen, chief executive of the British Meat Processors Association, added his industry could lose customers if the delays stuck in traffic and clearing checks continued.
He said: “Hauliers are reporting that they are struggling to get drivers willing to go to the UK if they are going to get delays getting home again and with the international shortage of drivers they are able to be selective about what jobs they take.”
It comes as the Kent Resilience Forum said the queuing system for lorries approaching Dover will remain in place until after the Easter bank holiday weekend.
Operation Brock, where lorries heading to Dover queue on one side of the M20, will remain in place until after Easter “as a precaution” to manage traffic.
Queues of freight on both the M20 and the A20 heading to the cross-Channel ports again stretched for miles on Tuesday.
Heidi Skinner, from Logistics UK, which represents logistics firms, told the BBC: “We are calling for an urgent review into the effectiveness of Operation Brock as a traffic management scheme, and most importantly, the humanitarian issues it raises as HGV drivers are left unable to access basic hygiene facilities, food and drink.”
Richard Ballantyne, chief executive of the British Ports Association, has also admitted Intense traffic congestion around Dover is partly down to “Brexit scenarios”.
While he said the gridlock was mainly due to P&O Ferries’ related delays, he also pointed to Brexit bureaucracy as another factor.
He told Sky News on Saturday: “There’s still congestion. P&O Ferries is out of service at the moment, which is probably the main cause of all the congestion – coupled with one or two other little incidents, and other Brexit scenarios.
“We’re hoping things clears as soon as possible, but I appreciate for those stuck in queues at the port and Eurotunnel it must be very frustrating.”
The RHA previously said the HMRC was “continuing to have issues” with its new GVMS system for customs declarations needed by hauliers following Britain’s exit from the EU.
They said last week drivers were lacking scannable barcodes needed for the rapid check of lorries at ports including Dover, and temporary workaround could be in place until Monday.
The HMRC confirmed on Monday: “The Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) is now fully operational, and you’ll need a Goods Movement References (GMRs) for all movements using GVMS.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused whilst we investigated the issue.”
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