Kent Resilience Forum (KRF) has confirmed that in the 48 hours prior to its statement on Sunday morning, over 100 fines had been issued to lorry drivers who tried to dodge the Operation Brock queue. KRF provided the figure in its statement regarding the most recent spate of traffic problems in and around the Port of Dover.
“Freight drivers are reminded they must follow the signs and use the M20 to join Operation Brock at M20 junction 8. Any EU-bound hauliers not complying with signage and trying to jump the queue not only risk a fine of £300 but will also be sent to the back of the queue by police or enforcement agents. In the past 48 hours over 100 fixed penalty notices have been issued for non-compliance,” reads KRF’s statement.
In light of the traffic chaos that hit Kent on Friday and Saturday in particular, many politicians and industry figures have been weighing into the debate on what should be done.
In a statement issued yesterday lunchtime, the RHA repeated its call for decisive action to create a permanent contingency site for handling lorries for use when there is disruption crossing the channel.
Speaking about the site, Executive Director of Policy and Public Affairs at the RHA, Rod McKenzie, said:
“Lorry drivers have put up with horrendous queues under the most appalling conditions – being stuck in a traffic jam for 20 hours is a miserable experience for anyone, but for professional drivers who do this run regularly, it’s disgraceful. The RHA has repeatedly called for better contingency arrangements with facilities such as toilets for truckers. This is now urgent as this problem is not going away nor is it a one-off.”
Amid calls for more lorry parking for lorry drivers in Kent, Toby Howe, the Senior Highways Manager at Kent County Council, also told the BBC there is “very limited space” for such infrastructure. Speaking on BBC Radio 4, he stressed that infrastructure was needed, but added “It’s a very easy theory, but nobody wants a lorry park near them.
