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and SIMON CARSWELL
Up to 250 Irish trucks trapped in England are facing returning home and disposing of the product after France banned road transport from Britain due to a new Covid-19 strain, a transport industry group said.
France suspended all UK air, rail, road and seating traffic at midnight Sunday for at least 48 hours in an effort to stop a new strain of the coronavirus spreading from Britain.
The president of the Irish Road Transport Association, Eugene Drennan, said turning around and heading home was the “worst case scenario” faced by Irish hauliers stranded in Britain as a result of the ban.
He estimated that between 200 and 250 drivers may not be able to continue their journeys over the UK “land bridge” route to continental Europe to deliver produce, in some cases fresh food.
Drennan said he spoke with Transport Minister Eamon Ryan and his department officials and French authorities on Sunday night about trying to allow Irish trucks to travel to France.
He has asked the French embassy about waiving the ban on trucks with Irish license plates, noting the safety with which Irish drivers have been operating during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Restrictions
The Port of Dover in Kent was closed to all escorted traffic leaving the UK until further notice due to border restrictions in France complicating the situation for Irish drivers stuck in Britain.
“If we have to get the trucks back on the road, it will result in a large amount of product being dumped, many missed deadlines and another dent in Ireland’s reputation,” said Mr Drennan.
He said he hoped the government could help the stranded carriers to make a decision on whether they can travel to France or return to Ireland.
He said he had contacted DFDS, the operator of the new Rosslare-Dunkirk direct service that begins Jan.2, to see if the shipping line could start sailing earlier to help with the situation.
“I am very worried and upset. I pointed it out since June, that we don’t have enough capacity on direct ferries to France. We are badly caught, by the whim of France, “he said.
The land bridge, traditionally the cheapest and fastest transit route for Irish carriers to and from continental Europe, has been delayed in recent weeks due to heavy pre-Brexit booking congestion. The French travel ban has paralyzed this route with 10 days to go until Brexit.
Drennan said he asked Irish carriers not to load any cargo for transport to mainland Europe via the UK land bridge until they have a reservation on a direct ferry.
“We don’t have enough capacity tonight or tomorrow. We are really trapped, ”he said.
Aidan Flynn, general manager of the Freight Forwarding Association, an Irish group, said it was a “perfect storm” with Covid-19, pre-Brexit warehousing and Christmas supplies dropping at the same time.
Dover closed
Last night, the port of Dover, through which many Irish exporters and importers move goods, announced that it was closed to road transport and passengers leaving the UK “until further notice”. Containers can continue to be shipped unaccompanied.
The UK government’s Cobra emergency committee will meet on Monday to discuss the situation, and the movement of goods traffic is high on the agenda. Since EU ministers must also discuss the situation, both sides can try to find a way to allow the load to flow. The Eurotunnel is also closing.
The issue will be a major issue for Irish exporters and importers. While the Government has said that cargo movements between Ireland and the UK will continue, the movement of goods through UK ports appears to be effectively halted. This will cause a particular headache for businesses dealing in time sensitive food products. Approximately 150,000 truck movements a year are recorded across the land bridge to and from Ireland.
Direct routes
In recent months, before Brexit, several direct routes have been opened from Irish ports to mainland ones and some deliveries are likely to be redirected to these services.
According to Mr. Flynn, the latest developments would test whether there is sufficient direct capacity, as stated by the Government. Direct routes usually take longer and therefore cost more than normal use of the land bridge. There have already been significant delays through Kent on the way to Dover in recent days due to the build-up of stocks ahead of the UK’s exit from the EU trading bloc at the end of the year.
The UK’s exit from the EU single market is expected to cause delays in the movement of goods due to new customs procedures, and if there is no trade agreement, the delays could be worse.
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