The Kent Resilience Forum and Highways England are planning to carry out a live test of EU exit contingency plans.

Part of a series of measures aimed at keeping traffic moving during periods of cross-Channel disruption, a moveable barrier system on a section of the M20 will be in place from Friday 11th December, with parts of the motorway scheduled for closure between Maidstone and Ashford for four nights.

The barrier will be used to create a new layout with a contraflow system designed to allow traffic to continue in both directions at the same time as port-bound HGVs are queued to travel through to the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel.

Highways England says the plans play a key part in managing any potential disruption at the ports after the end of the transition period on 31st December 2020.

South east operations director at Highways England, Nicola Bell said: “We have again worked extensively with our partners in Kent and are confident that this test will provide a valuable dress rehearsal into the operation of our Kent-wide port disruption contingency measures. The test will help us to fine tune Operation Brock, finding ways to make the deployment quicker whenever the barrier is needed, whether it be in preparation for transition, or other disruption to cross-channel services.”

HGVs and insurance

From 1st January 2021, the operator licensing requirements for journeys to, through or from the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway will change. The Community Licence will be phased out and replaced with a UK Licence for the Community. The new licence and certified copies will be issued automatically and must be carried when driving abroad.

Your drivers should plan to carry a green card for the vehicle they’re driving in the EU and EEA from 1st January 2021. You will need multiple green cards if you have fleet insurance (with one green card per vehicle); if a vehicle is towing a trailer -- they will need one for the towing vehicle and one for the trailer (separate trailer insurance is needed in some countries); and if there are two policies covering the duration of the trip, for example, if the policy renews during the journey.


Image courtesy BSI Group

Share Story: