Thousands of international lorry drivers are braced to spend Christmas Day cooped up in their cabs at the English Channel border as slow progress was made to return hauliers home to their loved ones.
Luckily many of the Irish drivers have already left the Port of Dover and its congested approach roads “proving again that the Irish know their logistics”, Wexford TD Verona Murphy said.
More than 4,000 lorries have been stuck on roads and at an emergency lorry park on Manston airfield, after France closed its UK border on Sunday amid concern over a possibly fast-spreading virus variant.
Speaking to The Irish Times, the former president of the Irish Road Haulage Association rejected notions of “the luck of the Irish”, saying that drivers and haulage firms would have had a back-up plan.
She said many of the Irish would have switched from Dover to Gillingham, also in Kent, from where they would get a ferry to the Hook of Holland.
Others had simply been dropping containers at Dover and this would have been allowed, while more would be picking up containers at Dover, which was also allowed, she said.
Ms Murphy told The Irish Times that some lorries had turned around and returned to Ireland where their loads were put on board the “direct route” from Rosslare, when Stena brought forward the deployment of an additional ferry originally scheduled for introduction in January.
“But the Road Haulage Association was close to this throughout and I was staying in touch. I don’t know of any Irish who are still stuck at Kent. I think we are all out”, she said.
Repatriation plan
The UK's transport secretary Grant Shapps announced hundreds of soldiers would be deployed to help the repatriation operation in Kent.
Around 700 hauliers have been cleared for departure since the borders reopened on Wednesday – and a chorus of beeping horns sounded at the Port of Dover on Christmas Eve as those at the front of the queue celebrated finally being able to leave.
However, around 5,000 remain unable to get home, despite some progress made in testing drivers holed up in their vehicles at nearby Manston Airport, on a closed section of the M20, and in Dover itself.
Some have already spent nearly a week stranded due to the diplomatic impasse.
Mr Shapps said: “We need to get the situation in Kent, caused by the French Government’s sudden imposition of Covid restrictions, resolved as soon as possible.
“I have today sent special instructions to the Army to take control of testing and HGV management operations in the county. Our aim is to get foreign hauliers home with their families as quickly as we can.
“I know it’s been hard for many drivers cooped up in their cabs at this precious time of year, but I assure them that we are doing our utmost to get them home.”
The UK Department for Transport (DfT) said all but three of the 2,367 coronavirus tests issued to hauliers have been negative – a stipulation of travel introduced by French authorities.
More than 300 soldiers will be brought in to take charge of testing and lorry marshalling to clear the backlog.
The British government said catering vans would be brought in to provide complementary hot food and drinks to stranded hauliers at Manston, with Kent Council and volunteer groups providing refreshments to those stuck on the M20.
There are more than 250 toilets at Manston, with a further 32 portable toilets added to existing toilets already along the M20.
A Port of Dover spokesman said ferry services would continue running throughout the night and on Christmas Day to help ease congestion.
Traffic is moving more quickly at the Eurotunnel, where more than 1,000 vehicles left on Wednesday night, with around 2,000 more expected to depart by the end of Thursday.
But many will remain there for Christmas Day, according to Duncan Buchanan, a policy director at the Road Haulage Association (RHA).
Mr Buchanan said: “The most reassuring thing is that food is getting through at Manston, and I have to say a big thank you to everyone who volunteered to help drivers stick it out in cold conditions in the days leading up to Christmas.”
