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Smooth so far, say ferry firms – updated

[ January 4, 2021   //   ]

Stena Line said on 1 January that the majority of freight had successfully accessed its ports on the first day post-Brexit but added that freight volumes were markedly down on pre-Christmas levels, so it is too early to draw any conclusions
It said: “Currently freight traffic is flowing well through our ports across the UK and Ireland. All government customs and regulatory IT systems are working well with no issues reported…We are happy with the way the new procedures are operating and remain cautiously optimistic that, as freight volumes begin to rise again, we will be able to ensure the continued free movement of goods.
“The day has not been without issues for some hauliers, which was expected. The occasional vehicle has being turned away due to not having the correct customs references, but most have returned later with everything in order and been shipped.
“There will be an adjustment period while businesses get used to the new procedures, so for any hauliers that have not completed registrations on the customs systems, we would urge them to obtain the correct references before they arrive at check-in. Otherwise they will not be allowed access into our ports.”
A temporary contraflow is in place on the A55 on the approaches to Holyhead to handle trucks turned away from the port.
Minister for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates said the Welsh government would monitor the situation carefully remove the contraflow when it was safe, adding. “While the next few days are expected to be quiet, we know it will become busier as we approach mid-January.”
Ports of Normandy reported on 2 January that it had handled its first post-Brexit ferries from the UK – DFDS’s Seven Sisters in Dieppe, the Cotentin in Cherbourg and the Armorique in Caen.
The Cotentin is newly returned to the Brittany Ferries, having been chartered out in the Baltic and offers space for 120 freight vehicles, with a cabin berth available for every driver. The move will also prepare for the launch of a rail link between Cherbourg and Bayonne, scheduled for 2022. Meanwhile, she is operating as part of a contract secured by Brittany Ferries with the UK government’s Department for Transport (DfT) to guarantee space on two Brittany Ferries routes for goods like medical supplies from Poole to Cherbourg and from Portsmouth to Le Havre.

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