International permit allocation falls short of what is needed says RHA

8th February 2019

Today, DVSA/DfT have announced the allocation of the 2019 ECMT permits that will allow some UK truckers to work in the EU after a no-deal Brexit.

It comes as no surprise to the Road Haulage Association that the recent bidding process for permits has been grossly over-subscribed. Thousands of UK international hauliers are still in the intolerable position of being unable to plan future operations.

In this period of uncertainty we understand that the DfT has successfully obtained additional ECMT permits and there is, of course, the prospect of a contingency with the EU that will very significantly reduce the need for permits if agreement can be reached.

Commenting, RHA chief executive, Richard Burnett said: “When the bidding process for permits was first announced, we said that it amounted to nothing more than a lottery system. Even with the new allocation, ECMT will only supply permits for around 10% of the sector’s needs.”

Not all operators who should have been able to apply for permits did so. This is a clear indication that the communication undertaken by government has not penetrated deep enough.

“To say that many international hauliers will be disappointed is an understatement. How can they be expected to maintain the flow of exports to the rest of the EU if they do not have and cannot have enough permits to allow access to Europe? We need the alternatives to be put in place, or even better, we need a full transition period so practical measures can be achieved to maintain our supply chains.”

Applicants who have been unsuccessful in this bidding round will be automatically entered into the next allocation round for annual and monthly ECMT permits. The RHA is calling for the application process for permits to be reopened for a short period to allow operators who did not apply first time and those with Euro V vehicles (at least) to apply.

-ENDS-