PORT OF DOVER
The Port of Dover is one of the world’s busiest ports with 8.9 million passengers, 2.2 million HGVs, 1.7 million cars and motorbikes, and 70,000 coaches passing through annually.
Located just 21 miles away from France, it is the UK’s closest port to the European continent. The routes across the narrowest part of the English Channel known as the Short Straits are a vital asset in Britain’s supply chain.
3 ferry operators provide a service 24 hours a day, 364 days a year, with a departure on average every 30 minutes.
A juxtaposed border control is in place at the Port of Dover which means French immigration checks are carried out by the Police aux Frontières on British soil before boarding the ferry.
The main approach road for both passengers and freight is the M20 which merges into the A20 at nearby Folkestone.
LE SHUTTLE
Le Shuttle is a railway service that runs between Folkestone in Kent and Calais in France through the Channel Tunnel. The service operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, with up to 4 trains an hour for passengers and up to seven trains an hour for HGVs. The journey takes approximately 35 minutes.
Passengers are only allowed to board in a vehicle such as car or a coach, or riding a motorbike. It also provides a cycle service for those travelling by bike.
HGVs are transported on separate shuttles from passengers. After loading their own lorries onto the trains and securing them, drivers are taken by minibus to the club car at the front of the train, which offers Wi-Fi and vending machines stocked with drinks and snacks.
Like the Port of Dover, the border at Le Shuttle is juxtaposed with France, and it is approached via the M20.
Both portals are vital for the import and export of goods to and from the UK
58%
of all trade with the EU passes through the Port of Dover and Le Shuttle each year
£144bn
of trade in goods is handled by the Port of Dover each year
£3bn
savings for British businesses using the Port of Dover compared with alternative routes
31%
of all HGVS transiting UK seaports pass through Dover
2 million
freight vehicles travel through the Port of Dover annually
£120bn
1.5 million
trucks travel through Le Shuttle every year
£12bn
worth of fruit and vegetables is carried by Le Shuttle annually
26 million
red roses are delivered via Le Shuttle every Valentine’s Day
Source: Port of Dover and Le Shuttle
The Kent Portals are at risk of disruption from incidents caused by heavy traffic demand, bad weather, staff shortages and industrial action, and system failures such as mechanical breakdown and IT issues.
These incidents often lead to disruption spilling out of their boundaries and on to the wider road network
Numerous measures have been introduced to try and help alleviate the pressure
Operation Stack
Operation Stack introduced, a procedure to park lorries on the M20 when there is a need to inhibit the flow of traffic to the Kent Portals
Industrial action
Due to French industrial action, Operation Stack is in operation for at least part of each day between 28 February and 15 March. Kent County Council announce plans for a temporary lorry park.
Operation TAP
A temporary traffic management system that queues port-bound HGVs on the A20.
Phase 4
The M20 is closed between Junctions 9 and 11 coast-bound to allow lorries to park. The cost to the UK economy is estimated at £250 million. 30 miles of lorries need to be cleared.
Manston airport
Mansion airport is kept on standby to be used as an emergency lorry park. A local newspaper reports that the DfT has paid the owners of the disused airfield at least £3.5 million.
Lorry park scrapped
Operation Brock
Work begins on Operation Brock in preparation for Brexit, an alternative to Stack that allows the M20 to kept open in both directions.
Steel barrier
A steel barrier that creates a contraflow on the M20 is installed at a cost of £30m for the first 6 months of operation. It is removed in January 2020.
Movable barrier
A moveable, zipper barrier is installed on the hard shoulder of the M20 in preparation for the end of the Brexit transition period.
Corona virus
Operation Brock is activated due to the French Border being closed as a result of Covid-19.
Central reservation
Work begins to move the barrier from the hard shoulder to the central reservation, a project that is expected to take up to a year.
Permit system
A permit system is introduced to help prevent lorry drivers skipping the queues in Operation Brock.
BROCK ISSUES
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EU ENTRY/EXIT SYSTEM
From autumn 2024, the EU will be introducing a new digital border system to strengthen the security of its external Schengen border.
The chief executive of the Port of Dover estimates that under the new system, the time it takes to go through border control
AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH
MOVE HGVS OFF THE ROADS TO A
VIRTUAL QUEUE
A virtual queue allows users to wait for a service without physically staying in a line
Call centres
Request a call-back instead of waiting on the phone
Theme parks
Receive a pass with a time to board an attraction
Deli counters
Take a ticket and continue shopping
chat bots
Customers can request a call-back
Online ticket sellers
CASE STUDY
HOW IT WORKS FOR THE KENT PORTALS
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