Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Government knows it has to act on Stack say MPs
Paul Francis
Kent MPs say the government has been left in no doubt that action is needed quickly to find a better alternative to Operation Stack after a meeting with ministers this week.
A seven- strong delegation of the county’s MPs met with the transport secretary of state Patrick McGloughlin and two other ministers to renew their calls for government action.
The meeting comes as travellers using the Channel Tunnel faced further disruption after the death of a migrant at the Calais end of the tunnel.
Ashford MP Damian Green said the presence of three ministers was an indication the government was taking the problems seriously.
“That is an encouraging sign that the department is taking it much more seriously,” he said.
“We discussed the issue of more lorry parks and what could be done this summer in case there is further disruption. One issue is that we need to alert drivers about whether Operation Stack is in place before they get to Kent. ”
Among other suggestions discussed was the possibility of holding HGVs at service stations outside Kent to help limit the numbers parked on the M20.
“At the first sign of trouble, we revert to Stack and it is increas- ingly clear that it is no longer viable.”
MPs also discussed the development of ferry routes to other ports such as Dunkerk for freight traffic.
“The reliance on Calais as the only major way of getting freight goods into France is unsustainable,” said Mr Green.
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