Blockade compensation claims pour in
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• Thousands of compensation claims are being registered with the French Government by British hauliers caught up in November's blockade.
The Freight Transport Association alone has received 600 requests for claims forms from its members, with hundreds more being processed through the Department of Transport and the Road Haulage Association. Despite fears that the French may still stall on actually paying out compensation, an FTA spokesman says that the French should not be condemned prematurely.
"There is a bureaucratic process to be gone through, whether we like it or not," he says. "Any authority paying out a lot of money needs to make sure that it is paying out legitimate claims. We know that our claims are legitimate, but it is understandable that the French want to check them carefully."
It is estimated that any compensation payments will be made four months after the claims are registered, but the DOT says it hopes this may be cut to two months. The Department has also promised to approach the French for interim payments if hauliers face particular difficulty.