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Italy normal for now, says Europa

[ March 30, 2020   //   Chris ]

Group operations director at Europa Worldwide Group, Dan Cook, said the groupage operator was, in late March continuing to operate three scheduled round trips per day between Como and its 1Hub in Dartford. He commented: “The drivers are therefore consistently on the route, and testament to them, we have had no issues at all from a driver safety perspective on travelling.”

Drivers have been issued with sanitising gel, disinfectant wipes and face masks. They also spend very little time outside of their vehicle, since they are operating only to and from our Europa’s partner depot in Como. That company has put strict processes in place to separate drivers from its staff, and ensuring measures are in place for drivers to be distanced from each other and other people

Europa switched its driver accompanied operation via Eurotunnel some weeks back, to operate unaccompanied between Tilbury and Zeebrugge, shuttling trailers between Dartford and Tilbury, and then between Zeebrugge and Como.

Cook adds: “Volume has actually been surprisingly buoyant really right up until this week.” However: “It is my view that volumes will drop sharply as we go into next week.”

Europa is seeing an increase in e-commerce exports to Italy and is doing some extra linehaul for clients in that sector.

He concludes: “I hope once the world comes out of the other side of this pandemic, that industry fires back up, factories start producing, consumers start consuming, and movements ramp back up to previous levels. Of course, I think there is a real likelihood that we enter a period where the economic situation is much weaker than before, and this may influence how ‘back to normal’ services can become.”

Tags: Europa