Road freight through Calais
Page 38
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We read with considerable interest the article "The Day We Went to Calais" (CM March 5).
As the authority responsible for the administration of the Port and Hoverport of Calais, we raised the matter with the Customs and other organizations concerned. We hope that the outcome of our inquiries will help to dispel any impression that the reception of Express Guaranteed Deliveries Ltd was unnecessarily obstructive or long-winded.
It is perfectly true that freight clearance facilities at Calais Hoverport do not exist but this is for the excellent reason that it would be uneconomic for Customs and forwarding agents to set up offices there. Freight movement, at present, is very small when compared with passenger traffic.
It is also true that the Customs authorities at the Hoverport are not used to receiving freight consignments. However, they did notice that an essential piece of paper, the transit document to Paris had not been provided. Accordingly the van was directed to a Customs agent in the Calais Port area: Leon Vincent, Place de Suede, Calais (France) who requested 500 to complete Customs clearance but this sum was not available for the reason stated in your article.
Freight traffic by road through the Port of Calais is doubling each year. All the facilities for the rapid clearance of this traffic already exist. Customs clearance facilities at the Hoverport will be provided, on demand, to carriers giving reasonable notice. If and when traffic reaches an economic level Customs clearance facilities will be provided on a regular basis.
P. GHEERBRANT, General Manager, Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie de Calais, Hotel Consulaire, 24 Boulevard des Atlas