🕒 Article read time: 2 minutes
Logistics UK gives evidence to Treasury Select Committee on UK-EU trade
Elizabeth de Jong, Director of Policy at Logistics UK, gave evidence on Monday at the inquiry session of a Treasury Select Committee on the UK’s economic and trading relationship with the EU.
She answered questions on a broad range of topics, ranging from the launch of the government’s new Goods Vehicle Movement System (GVMS) and Kent Access Permit system to issues faced by the Scottish fishing industry, Northern Ireland trade, as well as what HGV drivers should pack in their lunch box!
On the GVMS, Elizabeth de Jong said that Logistics UK’s Member Advice Centre had not received many concerns about its technical resilience. The concerns had more been about difficulties understanding the end-to-end process, including the paperwork that transport operators need to produce. Further government guidance was needed, particularly for hauliers carrying goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, where receiving an end-to-end operating manual, instead of receiving information in piecemeal fashion, would have made all the difference. “We’re needing to get more guidance published at pace all the time at the moment to help trade flow,” she said.
On the Kent Access Permit, Elizabeth de Jong suspected it was working quite well in terms of encouraging hauliers to prepare their paperwork for crossing the border. However, despite the lack of queues she said the number of hauliers without a valid negative COVID test result remained a concern.
“We’re not having queues in Kent at the moment because of much lower than expected flows,” she said, “but we do have other issues in Kent. Currently, the biggest reason for not being able to make a crossing, is not having a negative COVID test and being sent away to get one.”
*www.logistics.org.uk/brexit
Published On: 14/01/2021 17:00:52
Comments Section
If you are a Logistics UK member login to add comments.
In brief
BEYOND EMBARRASING
Logistics UK wrote to the government at the end of last year to request an urgent review of traffic management and welfare arrangements for HGV drivers in the wake of chaos experienced when France closed its borders to traffic for two days over the Christmas period. In a letter to Lord Agnew, Logistics UK pointed to shortcomings in the government’s plans in the event of border disruption, which led to chaos on roads in Kent and left thousands of drivers stranded without access to basic hygiene and food provision facilities.
https://logistics.org.uk/media/press-releases/2020/december-2020/national-embarrassment-must-not-be-repeated-logist
Latest articles
RTX is back!
Award-winning Road Transport Expo (RTX) is back this summer and a diary must-attend for anybody involved in the road haulage sector.
Read time: 2 minutes
View article
RIA releases ambitious blueprint for net zero railway by 2050
The Railway Industry Association (RIA) has released an ambitious blueprint titled 'Delivering a Lower Cost, Higher Performing Net Zero Railway by 2050'.
Read time: 2 minutes
View article
Mercedes-Benz to pair eSprinter vans with e-cargo bike
A new pilot program aimed at making last mile deliveries greener has been initiated by Mercedes Benz.
The eSprinter effectively becomes a micro-depot with the electric van’s cargo being offloaded onto an ONO electric cargo bike which then completes the last-mile deliveries
Read time: 2 minutes
View article
