Why are the UK responsible for the stuck lorry drivers?

[Gleps]

This might be a really silly question and I might be missing something obvious but I’d like to understand why the uk are responsible for all of the European lorry drivers who are stuck at Dover?

When this all started, it was down to us to get all the Brits living in places like Wuhan home. So why when the situation is reversed is it now our responsibility again?

Having watched the news, they are all mixing and not wearing masks etc (not surprised they need some company in these tough times) So any test may show as negative and the develop symptoms later, rendering the test pointless.

@nicegerbil and agreement has been reached with france on going forward its on gov uk site
We could do little until it was agreed with france the way forward and macron isn't well liked by quite a few either , thats some peoples opinion of him

Most of the drivers are not French nationals either. They are in the UK and cannot easily leave. As human beings we need to provide them with food, water, toilet and washing facilities. My heart breaks for them getting stranded like that.

@jasjas1973

People stuck overseas, were in hotels, homes etc etc, they were not in the middle nowhere, with little food, no toilets or washing facilities.

You d not treat a dog like it but it seems the british govt is quite happy to treat lorry drivers like sub humans.

Its quite likely that when this is eventually done and dusted, 'drivers wont want to come to the UK and then what will we do?

Don't be ridiculous, Macron closed the border to freight despite never having considered it necessary during the March lockdown. The Belgians, Dutch and Irish are still allowing freight through. This a nakedly political move by Macron and is his fault alone. The British government can't just give the Royal Logistics Corps an hour's notice to feed 6,000 people, nor do they have a supply of portabogs on speed dial.

Why didn't the plans for a no deal Brexit swing into action?

When long queues could be the norm again.

Where is the redirecting to other ports that we had have made agreements with other the last however many years since we left Europe?

Where are the well served contingency areas so the motorways don't get blocked?

Nowhere. There have been no plans.

The trade fella, a couple years back. Said he didn't realise how much of our stuff came in through Dover.

DH says Dominic raab, now foreign secretary.

Yay?

In short. This shitshow is entirely self inflicted. Blaming the French is pathetic.

As a country, and individually. We need to take responsibility for the consequences of our actions. Rather than constantly blame others. It's unproductive and will not do anything to improve things. Useful for the government though.

@Motorina

The irony is that, before this, the risk of any lorry driver, isolated in their cab, having covid was probably pretty low. Which is one reason why countries have generally allowed freight to continue, even if borders are otherwise closed.

Now they've been cramped together with no facilities beyond a few portaloos, taking food from random volunteers? I can't imagine a better way to promote disease spread. Given that lateral flow tests miss plenty of cases, and the lag between infection and giving a positive test, I wouldn't be surprised if this has actually increased the risk of covid +ve drivers entering France.

If it carries on much longer they'll be carrying norovirus and dystentry, too.

This.

There's very little point in testing as covid can take 14 days to incubate, and the test only shows if you have it on the day you were tested. Very possible that some drivers will test negative, but still be incubating the virus.

DdraigGoch, if the UK was as ready for the no deal as it was making it out, this is exactly what it would have ready in Dover 😄 Of course it's a political move by Macron, the timing is political. They are now finally sorting out the issues in Kent, tomorrow we'll have a UK-EU deal and only the poor truck drivers will miss out on Christmas with their families. I'd put £50 on it.

'The Belgians, Dutch and Irish are still allowing freight through'

So why are we not utilising the arrangements we put in place with those ports, combined with increasing capacity at our other ports, to keep things moving. As with the risk of a no deal Brexit, obviously those contingencies would be on place and ready to go.

Ermmmmmm.

And why is it useful for a polish lorry driver to go to Ireland on Xmas Eve?

@NiceGerbil because they were already there how can they all turn around and go elsewhere
With a no deal brexit you have a day and lorries can be sent elsewhere before they have made there journey
This is also one of the moat busiest times for freight and with everyone trying to get back for holidays as a lot if european countries , xmas eve is there big celebration

Also the idea that long distance lorry drivers 'remain isolated' in their cabs is silly.

I used to go out with a long distance lorry driver and. No they don't.

How do people think we could just send lorries off to another port just like that when they were booked on trains/ ferries etc at another port
You can't just swing a lorry around and rick up elsewhere

@NiceGerbil covid changed that a little a lot of places where they would go are shut or are under restrictions

@NiceGerbil who was on about a polish lorry driver going to ireland ??

Donewith

We rely on imports by lorry from Europe for lots of stuff.

With Brexit, if no deal, comes extra paperwork. Checks. It slows it down.

I would have imagined that the govt as part of no deal preparations would have ramped up capacity at our other major ports, and been in talks with Antwerp etc.

Then when this happened, they could put that in action. They should have been spreading imports away from Dover already. We're too dependent on the one entry point for lorry freight.

They haven't mentioned this so, there are no plans of that nature.

We are an island. If we want to maintain our current standard of living esp with food we rely on these imports.

We clearly have no plan B and by the look of it not even a plan A.

Our government made an Ill thought out statement to justify cancelling Xmas on late notice.

They didn't think past that.

@Sedona123 yes exactly its all to make sure they are looking like something is being done
Tests are only good for the day its done but not a lot else they can do really other than this
They have to get poor drivers out of the situation as soon as possible really

[quote donewithitalltodayandxmas]@Fauvist why call someone idiotic , some right jumped up people on here get over yourselfs [/quote]
Maybe because that person was being genuinely idiotic? I could have been a lot ruder.

To those saying if it was the other way round do I think we would help get people back from France. Then yes, I genuinely do.

Then I know that you are mistaken. We got stuck in France during the March lockdowns. Our government did b*gger all to help anyone.

Of course you can in an emergency.

People are saying that we put flights on to get UK people home from china and that is the effort any country should go to. But it's too tricky to say to lorries divert to Folkestone and get to Antwerp?

@NiceGerbil as someone who works in imports and exports i know fully how it works and paperwork that is required , its not actually paperwork free even now as such to go to europe
But brexit hasn't happened yet so no need to send elsewhere yet
Plus its the hauliers who book the train/ ferry etc they go on not the goverment and would be booked on availability / price / easier quicker transit etc

@fauvist what because they asked a question ?
Calling people names says mire about you than them to be honest

[quote donewithitalltodayandxmas]@NiceGerbil as someone who works in imports and exports i know fully how it works and paperwork that is required , its not actually paperwork free even now as such to go to europe
But brexit hasn't happened yet so no need to send elsewhere yet
Plus its the hauliers who book the train/ ferry etc they go on not the goverment and would be booked on availability / price / easier quicker transit etc [/quote]
You work in imports and exports? Seriously?

Oh god, we are in more trouble than I realised.

@NiceGerbil its not the same as flights and they take days to sort often as well
There has to be capacity they don't just have a spare plane or ferry sat around just in case
The border got shut without hardly any warning

@Fauvist what a very pleasent person you seem
Does it give you pleasure to insult someone you do not even know
You have just name called and insulted without actually inputting much in to the conversation at all

@NiceGerbil there will likely be delays at first if a no deal as people get used to the extra checks and documents and your right before announcing cancelling of xmas etc they should if thought of the consequences of what reactions other countries might rightly of had
Apparently we are slightly closer to a deal but that could all change
So delays at first if a no deal inevitable , but we also need to not be so reliant on imports as well