New schemes are constantly being implemented to improve traffic and haulage management, and the new freight traffic management system being implemented for trucks using the Port of Dover is no exception. This week, the Road Haulage Association announced that all trucks entering the port for business will need a permit.
New Rules
So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that the new rules will be strictly enforced and designed to make life easier for all parties. In this case, July 10 marked the beginning of a permit scheme designed to ensure that lorries successfully followed the right routes through Operation Brock, Dover TAP, and then safely through the town of Dover and onward to the port.
The scheme is being launched after several reports of non-compliance in the system already in place—Operation Brock. As a contraflow system, it is designed to try to keep traffic in Kent and on the M20 moving properly and minimise the disruption to the English channel.
It launched after a reported rise in non-compliance with the Operation Brock contraflow system, which keeps traffic on the M20 and other roads in Kent moving when travel across the English Channel is disrupted.
The Details
Drivers who are curious about how the new schemes will work should pay attention, as the new rules will be in place today.
Essentially, once Dover TAP is properly activated on the A20, it will automatically issue permits to any freight drivers bound for the Port of Dover at the front of the Operation Brock queue. All hauliers will then have to leave the A20 at the Courtwood Interchange, at the junction of the A20 and B2011, and their permits will be checked by official workers to verify that they are allowed to move forward. If a permit holder is found to have the correct permit, they can re-enter the TAP line on the A20 and continue their journey towards the port.
Compliance Advised
Compliance with the new rules is advised to help ensure that the process continues to evolve and develop for the betterment of driving everywhere. It should come as no surprise to anyone that when it comes to these schemes, the support of the truck and haulage industry will help massively. The scheme is in place to make life easier for everyone, and it will be helpful in controlling things and delivering the support that truck drivers need.
Haulage companies should brace themselves for the new regulations and look for ways to streamline the process in-house. After all, if they’re going to happen, then it is best to adapt to the change and make sensible decisions. We can only hope that this will make the process of driving through to the port much easier for everyone and that ongoing support from the right groups will make a major difference to how future policies are designed - with the haulage companies at the heart of these decisions.