Highway officials in the UK have said that Operation Brock will be ready for the current Brexit deadline of March 29. However, the UK’s Road Haulage Association has said it “remains skeptical”.
Operation Brock is a contingency plan which aims to control the flow of traffic around the Port of Dover in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
A statement from the RHA explained that Operation Brock intends to manage the freight traffic leaving the UK as a result of additional customs inspections and paperwork checks in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Part of the operation involves a contraflow system for London-bound traffic on the M20 between Ashford and Maidstone, as well as keeping freight traffic to the outside lanes heading towards Dover where they can be stacked if queues build up at the port.
The statement said that emergency access gates were being installed between junctions 7 and 9, on the M20 motorway.
The RHA has said it “remains skeptical” about the suitability of Operation Brock.
According to the association, even at this late stage, it is unclear what preparations have been made to facilitate the hundreds of haulage drivers who will be “shepherded” into the stacking system.
Access to food, water and toilets are all essential, but how this will be achieved has yet to be revealed, the statement concluded.
