The British Government is willing to spend more than 100 million pounds for extra ferries to ease cross-Channel congestion in the possibility where the UK fails to ensure a trade deal after Brexit, as stated by Reuters.
Because of Brexit approaching, the risk of no-deal is increasing.
As Reuters noted, when the UK leaves Europe, extra ships will be needed to voyage to new routes across the Channel in the fear that the main French terminal of Calais and Britain’s Dover and Folkestone are clogged up by customs checks.
For the time being, Britain’s presence in Europe means that trucks can easily drive through border checks. However, in a no-deal Brexit, even a small delay for each truck would most likely cause long queues on feeder roads on both sides of the Channel.
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Andrew MacAskill highlighted that to smooth a potential backlog, the UK government awarded three contracts for extra freight capacity on routes from English south-coast ports including Poole, Portsmouth and Plymouth.
The awards are combined by 47 million pounds with the French firm Brittany Ferries, a 47 million pound deal with the Danish shipping company DFDS and a 14 million pound contract with Seaborne Freight.
Moreover, Vince Cable, the leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat party, commented that the public money spent was a reckless move. Yet, the Department of Transports answered that it was responding to a ‘situation of extreme urgency’.
Approximately 16.000 trucks drive by Dover and Calais every day transporting a variety of products from medicine to industrial goods to keep factories properly working.
Finally, the UK Government announced that all government departments should be ready for the possibility of a no-deal Brexit. This will include placing 3.500 armed forced standby to deal with any disruption.