CEO Richard Ballantyne said the stalemate was largely due to P&O Ferries’ layoffs following the sacking of 800 workers – but pointed to the Brexit bureaucracy as another factor. “There is still congestion,” he told Sky News on Saturday. “P&O Ferries is down at the moment, which is probably the main cause of all the congestion – combined with one or two other minor incidents and other Brexit scenarios.” Mr Ballantyne added: “We hope things will clear up as soon as possible, but I think for those who are stuck in queues at the port and the Eurotunnel it must be very frustrating.” Britons trying to travel to France at Easter have been advised to bring food and drink for expected delays as long queues continue around Dover. The congestion in Kent is mainly due to the lack of ships caused by the suspension of voyages by P&O Ferries after the controversial mass dismissal of seafarers without warning. But problems with a basic IT system for post-Brexit customs controls are also contributing to traffic chaos around Dover, where thousands of commercial trucks are stuck in queues. The Road Freight Association (RHA) said the HMRC “continues to have problems” with its new GVMS system for customs declarations needed by transporters after Britain leaves the EU. Drivers do not have the sweeping barcodes required to quickly check trucks in ports, including Dover, and the interim solution could be in effect until Monday, the RHA said. A message on the HMRC website states: “We are conducting extensive research into our systems to address the underlying issues behind this outage. We will provide further information by noon, Monday, April 11. “ The carriers said it took 15 to 20 minutes for each driver to clear the necessary checks since the full customs checks came into force in early January. A 23-mile section of the M20 has been closed to store queues for trucks heading to Dover as part of Operation Brock, while the A20 Roundhill tunnel has also been closed as part of the TAP traffic system. Dover County Council said it was ready to declare “a major incident” if traffic continued around Dover this weekend. Mr Ballantyne said both Operation Brock and Operation Tap had helped prevent “complete damage” to the city of Dover – as well as keeping the port and Eurotunnel running. “As frustrating as it is for people in queues, it actually works,” the port chief said of the traffic management plan. Asked how soon P&O Ferries would be able to reopen, Mr Ballantyne said: “There is a policy involved in this. We are probably expecting an announcement about P&O re-broadcasting soon.” Last month, The Independent revealed that the government is investigating a delay in new import controls due in July 2022 amid growing concerns about the cost-of-living crisis. The Cold Chain Federation has warned of a possible “collapse” of trade between British “small business” companies if the new Health and Phytosanitary Control (SPS) of imported agri-food and plant products is imposed in the summer.
