Dover: RHA calls for permanent contingency site to stop "disgraceful" driver experience

The RHA is calling 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.”

The site should be used and managed by the police and highway authorities to control and direct the flow of lorries travelling across the Dover Straits.

We ask that the Department for Transport, BEIS, Number 10, Kent County Council, the police and National Highways urgently work with industry on a specification for a “Channel Contingency Site” and to identify viable locations and options.

The M20 – Dover Straits route is Great Britain’s most important corridor for international road freight. It accounts for around 3.6 million lorry movements per year, 55% of the market.

It is the main corridor for fresh food to move between the UK and continental Europe and is the most important route for time sensitive manufacturing components.

It is time to take decisive action and deal with this long-term problem.

Look at our briefing document here