Operation Brock is set to return to the M20 next week, accompanied by new permits to prevent lorry drivers from bypassing the system.
The contraflow scheme, which queues lorries heading to the continent on the coastbound side between Junction 8 (Leeds Castle) and Junction 9 (Ashford), will be reinstated overnight on Wednesday, July 10. However, many truckers have been skipping the system and taking alternative routes to the Port of Dover, worsening congestion.
To address this, the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF) will issue new permits to truckers at the front of the Operation Brock queue between Junctions 8 and 9. These permits will be checked at the A20/B2011 Courtwood Interchange in Dover. Truckers without the permit will be turned around to join the Brock queue.
The Brock system involves a contraflow on the London-bound carriageway with narrow lanes and a 50mph speed limit, expected to remain throughout the summer holiday.
As holidaymakers and spectators heading to the Olympic Games in Paris pass through the county from July 13 until mid-August, Simon Jones, strategic lead of the KMRF, emphasized the need to manage traffic effectively to minimize disruption to local communities and businesses in Dover.
Jones said: “We are stepping up measures to ensure freight drivers stick to the plan and do not bypass the queues, which only add to congestion in Dover. However, these permits are not a ‘fix-all’ solution. With a busy summer and the introduction of entry-exit system checks later this year, we are working hard to prevent further disruption.”
The KMRF, comprising several authorities including Kent County Council, aims to prevent freight drivers from “rat running” with these permits. Freight drivers must leave the A20 at the Courtwood Interchange, where their permits will be checked before re-entering the Dover TAP queue on the A20.
The KMRF’s message to freight drivers is clear: “No permit – no access to Port of Dover.” Local HGVs and deliveries will not be diverted and will continue their journey with passenger and local traffic into Dover. Kent hauliers eligible for a ‘local haulier permit’ will receive it ahead of the busy summer period without needing to apply.
Traffic flows will be continuously monitored, and Operation Brock will be removed once disruption reduces.
To implement the contraflow, the M20 will be closed overnight from 8pm on Wednesday, July 10 to 6am on Thursday, July 11. The closures will affect the London-bound carriageway from Junctions 9 to 8 and the coastbound carriageway from Junction 7 to 9.
So if you park up at the airport cafe prior to shipping or like me go home for the night. But work for a company based outside of Kent do you have to still go through brock. Or will you have to go back to junction eight on morning of shipping?
I have the same issue. Usually park at Whitfield as I live in Dover. But the company I drive for isn’t based there
So why don’t the government or police limit the influx of foreign trucks into the country and look after our own that won’t happen all that want is more money from foreign trucks that don’t care about uk and proper European drivers the volume of trucks is unacceptable too many accidents bridge sticks unsafe parking any place will do!also why only trucks what about cars caravans campers coaches nooo trucks are an easy target I don’t suppose you have ever done it trust me it’s bad !
You are aware that the UK imports more than it exports? So stopping foreign trucks or cutting the numbers of them entering the UK simply reduces the amount of products on shop shelves and the amount of raw products needed by manufacturers.
You fucking CUNTS we bring your food every year you fucking basterds and when hollyday coms we have to go stay in operation Brock again iff this goes on like this and we have to wait for you you fucking wankers every time and it cost the transport compagnies who bring your food always dont come for 1 week we will see how it is in the supermarkets then we can end this operation Brock very easy dont forget this !! you fucking wankers
You need to take a long hard look at what you are saying my friend! We always had a very good and thriving European haulage industry until you Eastern Europeans came flooding in to Britain cutting haulage rates so low companies had to go out of business! The fact that you eat sleep and live in your cabs for weeks on end isn’t our problem!
Do please feel free to never come back to Britain I’m sure we will manage very well without you!
Is this your real name?
His surname would suggest he is from the Netherlands
Your comment would suggest you don’t know what you are talking about
As normal truck drivers suffer so you can get car drivers across quicker don’t forget after the summer you really on the trucks to keep you going
Well said. Time to join the EU and stop being silly little englanders.
I think you’ll find there have been long delays for decades at Dover during summer holidays. Rejoining won’t stop them, sheer volume of people travelling.
No more borderless trade since we left. Checks = delays. Exasperated in summer with tourists
This is nothing more than a farce, so you word it very well “drivers skipping the queue causing more problems” no it doesn’t cause more problems, the people causing the “problem” are Kent county council and the highways agency! Would your councillors sit in that queue for hours? No facilities no information as to how long it going to take, then being put over your drivers hours and having no where to park because the truck parks are full… the list goes on, take brock away and it runs smoothly Dover like any port has its peak days weds/ thurs that’s all other than that there is no need for this absolute waste of my time and 1000’s of other drivers time. And could it be made law that the hi-viz brigade (highways officers) do not drive up and down the lines of trucks beeping their horn to keep the drivers awake! If we run out of time we run out time nothing we can do about it!….
make a BAN on the movement of goods vehicles in time zones in order to create a green road for all European and tourist vehicles
ensuring safe and secure parking spaces for trucks and movement in free time zones in order to ease traffic
Absolute Farce, Priority to people going on holiday, instead of the people keeping the country running! If it wasn’t for the trucks, bringing ya goods inand out the country, you’d be fooked!
Gets my vote. All power to the people who endure a trip to the sceptic isle to deliver food for people’s plates. Take a few weeks holiday al together and let the U.K. see where it’s food comes from.
Yebac te wasze kolejki
So to prevent big problems at Eurotunnel and Dover
Operation bullshit is going to be back for two months.
So the English people can enjoy the Olympic Games and there holiday.
And all truck drivers and there companies get fuckt.
Because they need to take junction 8 to get a piece of paper to show they have standing in queue first at junction 8 for the paper and then for god know how many hours in operation bullshit.
And if you don’t follow the operation bullshit the police take your passport or drivers license so you have to follow them to junction 7 and there you can buy back your passport or drivers licence between 300 and 1000 ponds.
Is it not better to close the border for every time you want to put operation bullshit
No trucks in to the UK and no trucks out the UK to Europe.
It cost all the companies and truck drivers a lot off money to be parked up on the m20
And no toilet or get something to eat
But that is not important what happens to the truck drivers there not important.
It only important that you can go to the Olympic Games and go on your holiday.
Fuck the drivers and there companies.
This shows where the government’s sensitivities lie. Keep the failure of Brexit hidden by holding up lorries rather than cars full of people going on holiday. That way not so many people notice! The extra cost will come in shop prices but that’s not quite a such an issue, provided of course the action of Brock doesn’t lead to shortages in the stores. Then we might see some change.