KENT ACCESS PERMITS

HORSEBOXES travelling to Europe via Kent look likely to require a new permit or risk a £300 fine from 1 January.

The Government confirmed on 8 October that the Kent Access Permit scheme to avoid major post-Brexit traffic jams will go ahead.

A Cabinet Office spokesman said the requirements would apply to outbound heavy goods vehicles, weighing more than 7.5 tonnes.

“We are prioritising the smooth movement of outbound HGVs over 7.5 tonnes through Kent to prevent unnecessary queues at the border,” he said. “HGV drivers, or those acting on their behalf, will be able to follow a simple process to get a ‘Kent Access Permit’ using a simple web service.”

More detail, set out in the border-operating model published on 8 October, states completing entries online will be “quick and easy”.

“Where an HGV is deemed ‘border ready’ based on responses to standard questions, the web service will tell the user the vehicle could travel to the port, while HGVs not border ready will be advised not to travel until the documentation had been provided by the exporter,” states the guidance. “This will help HGV drivers be ready and reduce disruption at ports.”