Brexit: Lorry permit to enter Kent scrapped and M20 barrier removed

A permit required by lorry drivers to enter Kent after the Brexit transition period ended has been scrapped.

A moveable barrier installed on the M20 to help manage traffic will also be dismantled over the weekend.

The measures were introduced amid fears the UK's withdrawal from the European Union could disrupt cross-Channel trade and cause congestion on the roads.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said its haulier permit scheme had been "instrumental in avoiding delays".

Kent Access Permits have been mandatory for EU-bound heavy goods vehicles entering Kent since 1 January.

They were brought in to ensure drivers arrived at Dover with the right paperwork to ensure a quick border crossing.

The DfT said its permit scheme was "instrumental in avoiding delays at the border" but the measures were no longer needed "thanks to hauliers arriving at the border prepared" and as freight volumes "continue to operate at normal levels".

Its removal would mean "less paperwork for hauliers", it added.

The moveable barrier meanwhile, had been installed between Junctions 8 and 9 on the M20 for the Operation Brock contraflow system.

When in use, it allows regular traffic to keep flowing in both directions while port-bound lorries are held in a queue.

Assistant Chief Constable Nikki Faulconbridge, who chairs the Kent Resilience Forum, said: "With freight volumes back to normal, customs rules better understood and Covid-19 testing sites now well-established across the UK, the time is right for the Operation Brock contraflow to be removed."

The barrier will be stored on the hard shoulder in case it is required in the future.

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