From today, you will no longer need a Kent Access Permit (KAP) if you’re driving an HGV to the EU from the Port of Dover or the Eurotunnel. The "check if an HGV is ready to cross the border service" will also be closed.
Before you cross the border, you will still need to check you have the paperwork you need to cross the border between Great Britain and the EU. You must also check if you need a coronavirus (COVID-19) test, and when you should get one.
You can continue to access advice through the information and advice sites. Find your nearest site here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/haulier-advice-site-locations
Source: Department of Transport
Access permit scrapped
Kent Resilience Forum partners have monitored traffic levels closely over the last several months and are confident the new processes for HGV drivers no longer pose a substantial risk of causing significant traffic disruption on the county’s road network.
The decision coincides with the announcement made by the Department for Transport today that hauliers will also no longer require a Kent Access Permit to travel through the county.
Assistant Chief Constable Nikki Faulconbridge of Kent Police, who is also the Chair of 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.
"I would like to thank the people of Kent for their patience and understanding whilst the barrier has been in place.
"It is however important to note that the barrier will remain on the hard shoulder and can be activated again in the future if necessary.
"Alongside our partners we will continue to monitor traffic levels closely over the weeks and months to come, including during an expected increase when tourists are once again allowed to access Kent’s ports, to ensure any emerging issues are suitably addressed."
Nicola Bell, Highways England Regional Director, added: "The last four months have not been without their challenges and I would like to pay testament to the hundreds of workers across the Kent Resilience Forum who have worked – and continue to work – around the clock to ensure that traffic continues to move smoothly through Kent."
Kent County Council's senior highways manager Toby Howe commented: "Operation Brock was a key part of our traffic management plan to keep Kent moving in the weeks immediately after the end of the EU transition period. It worked well and got the job done.
"Despite the added challenge of COVID-testing hauliers, the much-anticipated disruption did not materialise thanks in part to the robust planning of the Kent Resilience Forum and hundreds of thousands of lorries have travelled via Brock through the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel since January – playing a vital role in keeping goods flowing and our supermarket shelves stocked.
"Of course we know there is no room for complacency in our efforts to keep the county’s roads clear as the UK emerges from lockdown. We’ll be watching traffic levels closely as shops and services continue opening up and we head towards the eventual return of international travel. We remain well prepared to do all we can to help everyone – hauliers and tourists alike – drive safely in Kent this summer."
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