UK government warns of possible queues of 7,000 lorries in the port of Dover, and two-day delays to cross to continental Europe.
Irish hauliers say they will be “between a rock and a hard place” post-Brexit after the UK government’s warning of possible queues of 7,000 lorries in the port of Dover and two-day delays to cross into continental Europe.
Michael Gove, the Westminster cabinet office minister responsible for Brexit planning, told the House of Commons on Wednesday that in a “reasonable worst-case scenario” there could be thousands of lorries waiting in Dover to cross the English Channel after January 1st.
Eugene Drennan, president of the Irish Road Haulage Association, said two-day delays at Dover could add “the best part of week” to a return journey for a lorry driver making deliveries between Ireland and markets in the Netherlands and Italy.
“The writing is on the wall that we have to alleviate the pressure on Irish hauliers going through England to continental Europe,” said Mr Drennan. “Ireland Inc needs certainty and surety of timing that goods can get to their markets in Europe on time.”