The trucks have been parked along a 23-mile stretch of the M20 under Operation Brock due to problems in Dover, causing high levels of disturbance on the roads in Kent. The long queues and delays in the Channel crossings are due to the suspension of P&O Ferries, the demand for Easter holidays and technical issues with the post-Brexit website required for documentation. P&O Ferries, which previously accounted for one-third of Dover’s capacity, suspended operations last month following the dismissal of nearly 800 workers without notice, prompting the launch of criminal and civil investigations. Image: British Road Freight Association says queue is about 20 miles with about 2,000 trucks Due to Easter requests, other ferry companies now say they do not have surplus capacity until Monday. “With the start of the Easter holidays and smaller-scale episodes across the transport network, it has created a queue … of more than 20 miles and about 2,000 trucks,” said the Road Freight Association. Image: This comes as drivers are warned of long delays as millions of people plan to embark on Easter travel next weekend Drivers remain “trapped” in trucks Spain’s main freight association, Fenadismer, compared the delays to a disturbance when France increased COVID controls on cross-channel traffic in December 2020. “Drivers must remain trapped inside the trucks, without access to adequate rest areas or minimal sanitation and hygiene conditions,” said the Spanish transport agency. It added that the European Commission should put pressure on Britain to resolve the delays. In addition to the aftermath of the P&O Ferries scandal, a government customs website has been providing the necessary documents since Brexit ran into technical problems, requiring alternative document checks. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:56 Aerial view of Dover shows long queues of trucks stacked on the M20. Passengers are encouraged to arrive at the airport early Manchester Airport has warned passengers to wait in queues for up to 90 minutes due to staff shortages. Charlie Cornish, managing director of Manchester Airports Group owner, urged departing travelers to arrive three hours before their flight so as not to miss it. Pressure on airlines and airports has increased due to rising demand for travel during the Easter school holidays. It comes as drivers are warned of long delays as millions of people plan to start Easter travel next weekend. Dover Harbor said in a statement that it handled 30,000 departing passengers last weekend, a threefold increase over the entire 2021 weekend. Trade in goods between Britain and the European Union fell sharply in January 2021, when trade customs regulations came into force after Brexit. Trade has now returned to roughly pre-Brexit levels, but has lagged behind increased trade with non-EU countries.
