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A port in a storm
Page 10
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There is a pressing need for secure truck-parking across the UK, and especially in Dover, Kent. CM visits a new 100-space truck park to see if it might start to tackle the parking problems near the White Cliffs.
by L istuprier Wattori A STAGGERING 86% of all goods vehicles travelling to mainland Europe. be they British-run or from the Continent, use the Dover Straits, including the Channel Tunnel.
Yet the town of Dover itself is not exactly awash with the kind of truckparking facilities required for such a volume of traffic.
Now a 100-space HGV park has opened just three miles from the Port, just off the A2 approach to Dover on Menzies Road. It hopes to make a dent in what is a growing concern for both local residents and local government.
Dover Truck Stop is the brainchild of freight forwarder Priority Freight. which has been scaling back the operator side of its business in favour of providing parking facilities and services.
The stop is packed with the kind of features that any sane driver and operator would want near one of the major border crossings in Europe; all vehicles entering and exiting are monitored by an automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system, and only account-holders, employees and authorised suppliers are allowed access.
Adding to the security on site is a three-metre security fence, as well as a 00,000 investment in CCTV and 24-hour security personnel.
What drivers want
For drivers, there is a US-style diner, with a menu more varied than just full English, burgers and fish and chips; a flatscreen TV and jukebox; and toilets and showers. All this costs just £2 for 90 minutes or £10 for 24 hours.
Neal Williams, managing director of Priority Freight, says:"In the South-East, the amount of secure truck parks is few and far between, and the services often don't live up to what drivers want. "What we are trying to achieve here is a high level of security and driver comfort, and we are in a unique position to meet a number of requirements for the truck driver and operator."
Part of that is using the truck park as a hub for freight forwarding. Priority Freight offers 24-hour trans-shipments and storage, as well as the restacking of loads that have shifted during transit via its three-tonne and five-tonne forklifts.
And for any haulier who is shifting hazardous goods, Priority Freight will handle and give advice on its shipments, particularly given the rules around their movement on the ferry.
Welcome addition
Development of the truck park has been welcomed in Dover as the town looks for a solution to the parking problem that will appease residents and haulage operators alike. Councillor Bernard Butcher, chairman of the council in Dover, says: "We take lots of calls concerning parked trucks that have been vandalised or broken into. Now drivers can park in an area with CCTV that provides all the facilities that they would need.
"The more vehicles we can get off the highway, the better for all concerned. I have it on good authority HGV rules [on the Continent] are not as strong as in the UK. If the authorities know where [foreign trucks] are, they can come and give them the once-over from a safety point of view," Butcher adds.
Critical to the park's success will be the installation of road signage in the area directing lorries to the A2 side of Dover, as opposed to the more popular M20 route. A decision on signage is expected from Kent County Council later in the year.
• To book a space, call 01304 828795 or sec www.dovertruckstop.co.uk