Monday, July 25, 2022
Is travel chaos built into Brexit?
It has been a summer of absurd claims and counter-claims, and that's just the Tory leadership battle. But the idea that the recent travel chaos in Dover and around the channel tunnel is down to the French not providing enough border guards is one of the most absurd.
The Guardian reports on the view of travel experts that the traffic management system on the M20 – introduced during Brexit – was causing “massive disruption”. They want the government to come up with a long-term solution.
The paper adds that authorities in Dover declared a critical incident as holidaymakers reported waiting as long as 21 hours to reach the ports. Volunteers were drafted in to hand out emergency supplies such as food and water to weary travellers.
This is the first full year of travel since Brexit, with 2021 holidays being stymied due to Covid, and already it is evident that the system cannot cope with the demand.
UK Ministers cannot escape responsibility for this mess. They brought in hard borders, now they have to make them work. Why should the French pick up the bill for UK intransigience, incompetence and sheer bloody-mindedness?
The Guardian reports on the view of travel experts that the traffic management system on the M20 – introduced during Brexit – was causing “massive disruption”. They want the government to come up with a long-term solution.
The paper adds that authorities in Dover declared a critical incident as holidaymakers reported waiting as long as 21 hours to reach the ports. Volunteers were drafted in to hand out emergency supplies such as food and water to weary travellers.
This is the first full year of travel since Brexit, with 2021 holidays being stymied due to Covid, and already it is evident that the system cannot cope with the demand.
UK Ministers cannot escape responsibility for this mess. They brought in hard borders, now they have to make them work. Why should the French pick up the bill for UK intransigience, incompetence and sheer bloody-mindedness?
Before Brexit, holidaymakers just breezed through border checks, now that we have 'taken back control' and 'asserted our independence from Europe', there is a price to pay, and that includes the passport stamping that is contributing to these delays
Time for a rethink.
Comments:
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When you say "Time for a rethink," I presume you are being ironic. There has never been any indication that the Conservatives gave any thought to Brexit except how they could personally benefit from it politically and financially. Certainly there has been no real thought given to making border controls work, just as there was no thought given to fishing, farming nor anything else that affects normal people.
So in 2020 the govnt and there ideology rejects the offer of help from France re expansion of boarder positions that leads to no action running into the travel problemd we have today.Before Brexit all ran smothly. Today the check in time is considerably more leading to long delays.That is without full staffing.Dover is far 2 small to cope with the flow of todays traffic.It needs expanding or greater use of other ports.All will cost money cos of Brexit.
France provides the boarder checks ON UK TERRITORY.I thought we were taking back control not allowing France to control us.Another result of Brexit.Equally why we cannot supply our own French speaking staff alludes me.Again Brexit is giving jobs to France NOT UK workers
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France provides the boarder checks ON UK TERRITORY.I thought we were taking back control not allowing France to control us.Another result of Brexit.Equally why we cannot supply our own French speaking staff alludes me.Again Brexit is giving jobs to France NOT UK workers
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