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THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS
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The closure of the truck parking area in Dover should be a major concern to everyone within the transport industry and within the government's transport and immigration departments.
At a time when the government is telling us all not to drive if we're tired, and asking drivers returning to this country to do whatever they can to prevent their vehicles being entered by illegal immigrants, we find that the only safe refuge for over 100 miles is to be taken away and the nearest similar parking is over 30 miles away and is often full by 10pm.
The port of Calais is spending millions of euros improving the French side of the crossing, despite the fact that they have several parking areas just outside the port area that offer parking, showers and food, as well as other needs for trucks and truckers. However, they cannot offer parking that is secure from entry by immigrants. After all, if they cannot prevent entry to the Channel Tunnel, which now resembles Colditz, I doubt that they can prevent entry to a parking area.
Those wishing to return to the UK from Holland or Northern Germany find that there is no parking area from Antwerp to Brussels which is safe from entry by those seeking a free ride to England.
It is common knowledge that if a driver has to run over the hours to reach safe parking it may be done, provided an explanation is given on the back of the card. But how much over will be considered acceptable in the eyes of the inspectorate?
We have the immigration department asking us to help them stop the flow of immigrants entering the country in the back of our trailers.
We have the government asking us not to drive too many hours and to take more breaks.
We have the inspectorate taking us to court for breaching the drivers' hour regulations and the courts sending us to prison or revoking our licencE and giving out huge fines for tr ing to do our jobs.
Now we have DOVE Harbour Board telling us to plE our journeys a little better I accommodate the closure the parking area at Dover an ensure that we have enoug time to reach alternative panl ing or not to cross over fror France.
Do we park up before we gE to Brussels so we don't ris immigrants getting in the back c the trailers? If that's the cas what happens to the driver who cannot make it home if the park up that far away fror base? Or do we run the extr mileage and time to reac Ashford instead of Dover? Wha is the inspectorate's vie), on this?
What about the trip out c the UK? Dover should be 'tun up and go'. But more often the' not it's a case of turn up; queur to get into the dock for almos an hour: then queue the entirl length of the dock to the booths then get the next sailing whict will probably add another twt hours'; wait for a sailing tha takes almost two hours frorr itting on in Dover to getting off Calais!
All this means that if you ri't have at least five hours ft on your card then you will lye to write on the back of yet iother card to cover extra neon duty.
ihn Hunt, reaston, Derbys.