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UK's share of Channel freight may be lower
Page 28
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I WAS VERY interested to read that, according to official figures, the share of UK-registered commercial vehicles crossing to the Continent is now 25% (`Road goods vehicles travelling to mainland Europe during Q2', CM 27 September).
I would like to question these figures on the basis that they simply do not reflect my practical experience over the last two to three years. Unless, possibly, vans under 3.5 tonnes are included? These are usually loaded as freight but their inclusion would vastly distort the real picture.
My estimate for heavy trucks would be around 15%.
On a recent trip to Paris (Calais out, Dunkirk back), I asked booking-in staff, a handful of regular Channel-crossing British drivers (now an endangered species?), and British Immigration staff for their estimates.Their answers were remarkably consistent -"15% top whack".
Immigration and booking-in staff see thousands of trucks each and every week on these routes, so surely they must know.
British Immigration staff made another very telling observation: "They might be registered in the UK but a lot of these trucks have foreign drivers."
Again, this exactly reflects my experience. Because my work takes me all over Europe I like to ask for route advice and quite often picking out a British truck reveals a driver who cannot speak even basic English.The same now goes for many Irish trucks too.
Can others support my claims?
Dick Flute by e-mail