[ad_1]
The British government has stepped up efforts to reduce truck queues that have formed over several days in southern England following the closure of borders due to an emergency caused by a new, potentially more contagious variant of the coronavirus, it reports. DPA.
The Defense Ministry said on Friday it would send “another 800 soldiers to Kent today to help increase testing capacity to reduce vehicle queues and ensure that traffic through Dover can resume at a faster rate than normal” .
The London executive had already dispatched 300 soldiers to the scene, writes Agerpres.
However, the situation is not expected to be resolved until several days later.
Thousands of long-distance drivers were stranded in England on Sunday after France completely closed its border.
On Wednesday, London and Paris reached an agreement whereby drivers must undergo a rapid test for the virus before they can cross the English Channel by boat or Eurotunnel.
British Transport Minister Grant Shapps said Thursday that of the more than 2,300 drivers who had already been tested, only three tested positive.
“Our goal is for foreign carriers to get home to their families as soon as possible,” the PA news agency was quoted as saying.
According to the Palestinian Authority, 700 trucks were able to cross the canal on Friday.
But more than 5,000 trucks remain stranded at the disused Manston airfield and on a separate section of the M20, PA said.
Many drivers have complained that they are running out of food and water. There are not enough bathrooms either.
Publisher: VM
