How is the traffic flowing on the M20 to Dover today?

Claims of 27 mile queues for truckers not borne out by evidence

Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2022

Traffic cameras showing clear roads raise questions about motives of critics making exaggerated claims

Claims of prolonged queues and delays for articulated trucks heading for Dover and the Channel Tunnel are being refuted by Dover Port managers and the HMRC who both argue a combination of factors have caused occasional delays which have already been cleared up.

Photos showing truckers lined up on the inside left lane of the M20/M2 awaiting police authority to enter customs clearance lanes as they approach Dover Port have given the impression there is a permanent problem – with Brexit being blamed.

Dover Port managers explain the delays have been caused by:

Three of the twelve ships that operate on the Dover-Calais crossing are currently out of service for refitting and maintenance;
While the ferry capacity has been cut by 25% the number of trucks is reported as being higher than usual for this time of year;
A new customs system is currently being introduced by the HMRC and some haulage firms have had difficulty in making the switch over to it.

The port accepts there have been occasional delays but reports that these do clear up. The evidence from monitoring the roadside cameras that the public can access suggests this is true. Below we present some basic facts for readers, as well as links to live feeds from official cameras.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

1. How to check up on road congestion?

Facts4EU readers can go to this website to check how congested the British roads they may wish to use currently are.

Once you select the road from the list or the camera from the map you will see the camera view – every time we looked there was no problem visible.

2. The Port of Dover is one of the busiest ports in the world
Last year (2021) it serviced:-

3,102,599 million passengers
2,149,595 trucks
336,296 cars
4,476 coaches

Observations

Why is social media replete with people claiming there are prolonged queues on days when the roads are clear, and when simply looking online can prove the queues don’t exist?

Last year we had two similar phenomena when firstly it was claimed Brexit had caused a shortage of lorry drivers and then Brexit was blamed for a shortage of petrol. Both were later shown to be false.

The prime cause of the HGV driver shortage was shown by logistic experts to be due to the Covid pandemic and its subsequent restrictions causing huge delays in driving tests, the processing of licence renewals and new licences being issued, and the poor working conditions for HGV drivers.

There never was a shortage of fuel. There were more than adequate supplies for filling stations, but speculation about the HGV driver shortage caused some members of the public to start panic buying of petrol. This was reported in the media and this in turn only fed the panic.

Once drivers filled their tanks and found there were no shortages other than the ones they had caused locally, the panic eased off. It should never have happened as drivers of petrol tankers need an additional ADR certificate on top of the HGV Class 1 and there was no shortage of such drivers as it is a coveted role, being the best paid.

Is it just a coincidence that such scares happened in the run-up to Christmas when there were other claims being made (by turkey farmers!) about a shortage of turkeys and how booze would run out?

The opposition to Brexit is becoming coordinated

What is emerging is a pattern. When there is a problem anywhere in the country, on any issue, the default response of Rejoin campaigners and many in the media is to blame Brexit. We know it is part of a coordinated attempt to persuade the British people to lose faith in regaining their sovereignty because the Rejoin campaigners have been quite open about it, as we reported last week. No doubt there is more to come.

There will indeed be occasional queues for ferries until the new system beds down. We also know that delays on the French side can crop up at any time and quickly back up on the British side. But let’s not lose our patience or our perspective. Brexit is already proving to be a success – as we continually report. And as the economy gets back to normal and the new systems are adopted it wont be long before we are asking whatever happened to the lorry queues?

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[ Sources: Port of Dover | House of Commons Library | DVLA | trafficcameras.uk ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Monday, 14 February, 2022

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Reader Comments 5

1. Michael Burnhill , Monday, February 14, 2022, 07:56:

Remainer lies exposed again!

2. Carlo Guli , Monday, February 14, 2022, 18:43:

The fact that media and political activists are prepared to lie is very worring.
There should be a parliamentary enquiry to expose and punish the perpetrators.
What is the conservative party doing about that while others seems to find time and resources to push ad nauseam the party gate boredom?

3. jon livesey , Monday, February 14, 2022, 19:19:

Yes. I agree that it is a bit worrying that Remainers are prepared to lie in a coordinated way, but on the other hand, after the fake events like the "petrol shortage" that turned out to be a deliberate stunt by the Road Haulage Association, the "hundred thousand missing truck drivers" that just went away, the "cancer drug shortage" that never happened, and now this, people who read the news must be starting to get the idea that these bogus events are just more of the usual fake news we see all the time, not just about Brexit.
And at some point the newspapers will figure out that there are more page-clicks in exposing Remainer lies than in propagating them, and at that point a permanent scepticism sets in, and everyone says "Oh, them again".

4. Jon, Wales , Tuesday, February 15, 2022, 04:26:

Carlo (2) - I add my agreement, and this question must be raised in parliament.
Elected UK members of parliament are supposed to inform their respective constituents with ACTUAL FACTS (facts being the operative word).
Much misinformation from remainer MPs has gone unchallenged in parliament over the years, and perhaps MPs are fully aware that ordinary members of the public view their 'pantomime', where some of them still attempt to follow a remain agenda?
We KNOW almost all MPs are aware of Brexit Facts4EU.org as it continues to debunk many remain 'myths' put out there.
The question is, WHY don't we hear MPs from all sides of the House of Commons following the same FACTUAL path?
In addition, should the elected government of the day be required by an Act of Parliament to adhere to the manifesto upon which they were elected? I say YES?

5. Lance Lucky Baxter , Tuesday, February 15, 2022, 07:39:

EACH TIME STATED WAS A LIE..I'M A LORRY DRIVER..

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