Operation Brock, the traffic management scheme that diverts lorries heading to the Dover and Folkestone ports to the M20 during peak times, must be replaced with a sustainable long-term solution, Logistics UK said this week, warning that its continuation is wasting taxpayers money and harming UK trade.
The business group’s call comes against a backdrop of declining UK export volumes. Analysis for Logistics UK from independent transport economists MDS Transmodal shows that, in the 10 years since the Brexit referendum, UK exports have fallen significantly both to the EU and globally.
UK exports to the EU are down 15.9% by volume while exports to the Rest of the World have fallen by 37.2%.
James Mills, Logistics UK head of trade policy said: “Ten years after the Brexit vote, it is deeply frustrating to see public money being spent to deploy temporary cones on the coastbound carriageways our members use every day to export to continental customers.
“Every cone placed on the motorway costs the public money, funding that could be used to create a permanent solution to manage coastbound traffic at peak times.”
He added: “The Short Straits crossing remains the easiest and quickest way to move goods to Europe, but a decade after the country voted to leave the European bloc, we are no closer to a permanent solution to the entirely predictable queues which form during the summer getaways.
“In fact, the queues have continued, with the European Entry and Exit System (EES) having recently replaced passport stamping with biometric checks before the EU system is working reliably.
“This is deeply frustrating both for our members, who want to deliver for their customers, and those who want to start their holidays rather than sit in endless queues.”
Pointing to MDS Transmodal’s data showing the fall in UK exports since Brexit, Mills called on the government to take action to reduce the delays
“The EU remains our biggest market for goods exports and it is critical that this trade is protected,” he added.
Mills also raised the issue of the lack of hygienic rest facilities for professional drivers caught in the peak season queues to the Channel ports, made worse by the high summer temperatures this year.
He said: “Over half of all goods traded between Great Britain and mainland Europe travel across the Short Straits crossings between England and France, and up to 16,000 freight vehicles travel through the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel every day.
“This shows how critical the crossings are to the UK economy. HGV drivers heading to the ports, along with coach passengers, motorists and Kent residents, deserve a permanent solution to the recurring congestion that occurs at the border, and this includes having access to food and drink facilities, as well as rest areas and operational toilets – something which workers across the rest of the economy take for granted.
“Why should our logistics workers, on whom we rely for everything we consume, be denied this access?
“Operation Brock is an inefficient and expensive workaround for an issue that our sector has been raising with government for years, with over £3m of public money spent last year alone deploying the scheme. Our members have had enough of bollards – they deserve a proper solution.”
