Archives
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- April 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
Freight News, Sea, Road, Logistics, Business
New plan to keep ‘critical’ freight moving after Brexit
[ June 27, 2019 // Chris ]SEAFREIGHT
New plan to keep ‘critical’ freight moving after Brexit
The Government has announced a new plan to secure freight capacity for vital supplies after Brexit, following the abandonment of transport secretary Chris Grayling’s controversial scheme to hire in ferries at a cost of over £100 million.
In a written parliamentary statement, Cabinet Office Minster David Lidington said that instead of formal deals, ferry and tunnel operators would be told through public information notices of possible future contracts that may be available for tender from September. Companies would be able to express an interest in bidding for contracts on specific services and routes if the UK has not signed an EU withdrawal agreement or if negotiations are continuing.
The contracts would include human and animal medicines and medical equipment along with other ‘critical’ goods.
Grayling’s earlier scheme triggered court cases and out-of-court settlements last year after the Government agreed a £33 million out-of-court settlement to Eurotunnel for being excluded from the initial contracts, only to be counter-sued by P&O Ferries over the payout to Eurotunnel. The DfT had signed deals worth £89m with Brittany Ferries and DFDS; a third operator involving Seaborne and Irish ship operator Arklow dropped out after it revealed that Seaborne had no ships or any experience of running a ferry service.
In response to the latest scheme, the Port of Dover criticised the policy of concentrating only on so-called ‘critical goods’ which “form a small subset of the total volume of goods essential to maintaining our quality of life”.
The port called for a measured and holistic approach that dealt with all trading needs, saying: “We believe a prudent Government should place a commensurate level of attention to ensure that all borders remain open so that other time sensitive essential items, such as perishable foods, continue to flow via the most economic route to market.”
Dover has been working with Government Departments and its business partners on both sides of the Channel for the past 18 months to address the practical issues of keeping trade flowing freely.
It added: “Keeping the traffic moving freely across borders will mean balancing any requirements for declarations around the realities of just-in-time logistics and flexible routing of lorries, and crystallising those requirements in sufficient time for merchants to develop the capability to meet them. It is in this area of ‘trader readiness’ that Government can have a profound impact.”
Tags: Brexit; Dover