Hauliers hit out at ‘lack of planning’ for untidy Brexit
Dover lorry park and new permit scheme risk customs delays, industry experts warn Grayling
ROAD haulage firms have accused Chris Grayling, the Transport Secretary, of failing to put in place any credible contingency plans for a “no deal” Brexit scenario, as well as “knowing nothing” about their industry.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, industry leaders said they were left astonished in recent meetings with Mr Grayling where he appeared to be unaware that British lorry drivers would not be able to carry goods on the Continent if the UK crashed out of the bloc.
They also claimed the Department for Transport was trying to “hang its hat” on a flawed contingency plan involving a major lorry park at the port of Dover, known as Operation Brock, and a permit system, which they said would do little to mitigate customs delays.
“People who know nothing about this industry are making vital decisions on it, and that is clear when you talk to Chris Grayling about what Brexit will mean to the UK international transport community … He is out of touch and lacking in key information,” Kevin Hopper, managing director of Brian Yeardley Continental, said.
Mr Hopper, a member of the Road Haulage Association with 40 years’ experience, said he and his colleagues attempted to warn Mr Grayling of several potentially catastrophic consequences of crashing out of the EU during a recent meeting in Westminster.
The main issue was that in a “no deal” scenario, British haulage firms would be unable to transport goods on the Continent as their licences and professional qualifications would no longer be recognised. When Mr Hopper attempted to explain this to Mr Grayling, he said the Transport Secretary “looked at me like I was talking in a foreign language”.
Mr Hopper said he then produced a copy of the EU’S “no deal” planning advice to stakeholders, which he had printed from the European Commission’s website, but Mr Grayling and his advisers appeared to be unfamiliar with this. Haulage chiefs then raised concerns about proposals to create a giant lorry park at Dover to prevent tailbacks on the M20, which they said would only benefit non-commercial traffic. “We would be sat there for days and days, costing a fortune just to get us out the way of Joe Public. The truck park would be full in half a day,” said Mr Hopper.
Haulage firms were particularly bemused by Mr Grayling’s suggestion that, after years of being undercut by cheaper drivers from eastern EU countries, they could fall back on contracts for transporting goods around the UK.
They also warned that “no deal” meant they would no longer be able to pass through EU customs controls in a matter of minutes, and would have to use an old-fashioned carnet system.
This relies on lorry drivers carrying ECMT permits, which last only a year and cover a limited number of journeys.
A Department for Transport spokesman said: “We are confident of reaching an agreement with the EU which maintains the same levels of commercial haulage accessibility, ensuring the benefits felt by both sides continue after Brexit.
“The recently passed Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Act will give the Government the power to introduce a permit scheme should this be required. We have no intention of relying solely on ECMT permits after we leave the EU.
“Regardless of the outcome of negotiations, we are continuing to work closely with a range of partners on contingency plans to ensure freight can continue to move as freely as possible between the UK and Europe.”