The British “They are filling their stocks like never before“explain the truckers.

Truck drivers in northern France reported on Thursday a “disastrous management“Heavy vehicle flows into the UK, the sharp increase in which is causing traffic jams as the end of the post-Brexit transition period approaches.

“We haven't reached Brexit yet, that promises”

The British “They are filling their stocks like never before“for fear of the duties that may be imposed from 1^Ahem January, when the transition period will have expired, the secretary general of the National Road Transport Federation of Pas-de-Calais, Sébastien Rivéra, told AFP.

“The traffic management plan is not up to the challenges and we are not yet through Brexit, that's promising! It's already been two catastrophic weeks and it will be like this until the end of the year“added Mr. Rivéra.

Carriers that have been working with Great Britain for about thirty years”I have never experienced such volumes.“, he reports.

For several weeks, the prefecture has periodically noted congestion on the routes to the platforms that cross the English Channel (ferry ports in Calais and Eurotunnel in Coquelles), especially on the motorways.

9000 trucks per day

Heavy vehicle queues are especially long around Calais on Wednesdays and Thursdays, days traditionally characterized by the presence of a greater number of trucks, and drivers try to return before the weekend.

After highlighting that the drivers are exhausted by the traffic jams but also by the intrusions of immigrants who take advantage of them to try to get into the trailers, Sébastien Rivéra affirms that “the transporters can't take it anymore.” “Some who only do local business find their activity completely blocked,” he laments, considering the storage capacity for trucks in the port and near the tunnel to be insufficient.

Due to heavy traffic around the platforms. #crossmanchea regulation of the #traffic the road starts.
Below is information regarding the activation, if applicable, of storage areas for heavy vehicles over 7.5 t as of this 02/12 at 10 p.m. pic.twitter.com/eFtkG9kVRH

— Prefect of Upper France and Northern region (@prefet59) December 2, 2020

According to the prefecture, around 9,000 trucks cross the canal each day in each direction, compared to the usual average of 6,000.

On November 19, a young immigrant was killed by a car on the highway near the entrance to the Channel Tunnel, where the police had intervened several times to disperse immigrants who were trying to board trucks that formed a long line. This issue was debated this Thursday during the visit to Calais of the French Prime Minister, Jean Castex. “The proximity of Brexit encourages smugglers and migrants to choose the fastest route, so we are subject to real invasions that block traffic.“explained Jacques Gounon, president of Getlink, Eurotunnel operator.

The United Kingdom left the European Union on January 31, but remains subject to European rules during a transition period that will end at the end of the year. Without an agreement governing their relationship, the two sides will trade under the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), synonymous with customs duties or quotas.