During this morning’s Transport Select Committee road freight inquiry session, Elizabeth de Jong from Logistics UK warned of the impact that new EU border ID checks – the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) - could have in the South East.
Due to become operational from April next year, the EES will require drivers to physically get out of their vehicle in order to complete biometric border checks; slowing down the speed at which people can be processed. Ms de Jong predicted that this could lead to 17-mile tailbacks at Dover, resulting in Operation Stack all over again for Kent.
This makes the Transport Select Committee's freight inquiry especially relevant. The Committee will consider this issue in its final report and will make a series of recommendations to the Government on how best to support the continued smooth movement of freight into and out of the UK.