The DfT has confirmed it has no plans to extend the relaxation in enforcement of drivers' hours rules that has been in effect since late July due to cross-Channel delays arising from industrial action and migrant problems.
A 30-day relaxation in enforcement while Operation Stack is in place has been in force since 30 July in response to industrial action at the port of Calais and multiple migrant incidents at the Eurotunnel terminal and the Channel Tunnel in previous weeks. That 30-day period comes to an end one minute into Saturday (29 August), however.
EU drivers’ hours regulations only allow for a 30-day relaxation in enforcement unless prior European Commission approval has been granted for a longer period.
Despite continuing migrant problems in northern France, a spokesman for the DfT told Motortransport.co.uk today that normal enforcement of the drivers’ hours rules would be reinstated once the current 30-day period came to an end.
“The relaxation of drivers’ hours was a temporary measure to help lorry drivers affected by the disruption in Kent and around the Channel Tunnel,” he confirmed. “At present, DfT has no plans to introduce a further relaxation.
“However we will continue to monitor the situation in Kent and take appropriate action if necessary,” he added.
Elsewhere, the Home Office has failed to confirm whether changes to the juxtaposed UK border in Calais announced at the start of this year have been carried out as planned.
In January, the Border Force said the juxtaposed border control at Calais would be moved further back into the port to ensure more of the vehicles queuing for the border were contained inside the area, rather than on approach roads where they would be more vulnerable to migrant attacks. It also said four extra lanes would be created in the run-up to the control point within the port to further increase its holding capacity. Both changes were due to be complete by this summer.
A Home Office spokeswoman told Motortransport.co.uk today it had increased the number of control points in the new coach hall and at tourist car booths. She declined to confirm, however, whether these were the lanes promised back in January or whether the work to relocate the border control had gone ahead.
In a separate development, figures released today (27 August) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed a rise in asylum applications in the UK of 10% in the year to the end of June at 25,771. The largest number of applications were made by nationals of Eritrea (3,568), Pakistan (2,302) and Syria (2,204).
